The Burlap Shirt is the first top almost every Rust player wears. It costs 20 cloth, needs no workbench and no research, and you can craft it seconds after you wake up on the beach.
This burlap shirt Rust guide covers the exact craft cost and protection numbers, how it compares with the hide vest and the workbench tops, the full burlap set, what to wear over it, the best skins and their prices, and what a recycler gives back.
- What It Is
- Stats
- How to Craft
- Protection
- vs Other Tops
- Full Burlap Set
- What to Wear Over It
- Skins
- Recycling
- Tips
- FAQ
What Is the Burlap Shirt in Rust?
The Burlap Shirt (shortname burlap.shirt, item ID 602741290) is a rough sack-cloth top. The game simply calls it “a shirt made out of burlap”. It is one of five burlap pieces, alongside the Burlap Headwrap, Trousers, Gloves and Shoes, that every player knows from the moment they spawn.
Rust gives the chest two clothing layers. The under-layer is one top: the Burlap Shirt, a T-Shirt, the Shirt or Longsleeve, a Hoodie, a BDU Shirt or a Hide Vest. The outer layer is a jacket, poncho or chest armor. You wear one of each and their protection adds up, so a Burlap Shirt and a T-Shirt never go on together. Our Rust clothing guide maps every slot.
Burlap Shirt Stats
| Stat | Burlap Shirt |
|---|---|
| Craft cost | 20 Cloth |
| Workbench | None |
| Craft time | 15 seconds (about 7 at a Workbench 1, about 4 at a Workbench 2 or 3) |
| Blueprint | Default, known from spawn |
| Projectile protection | 10% |
| Melee protection | 10% |
| Cold protection | 7% |
| Bite protection | 3% |
| Radiation protection | 2% |
| Slot | Chest and arms, under-layer |
| Recycle (powered monument) | 12 Cloth, no scrap |
| Despawn on the ground | 5 minutes |
| Stack size | 1 |
| Shortname / Item ID | burlap.shirt / 602741290 |
Recipe, blueprint, despawn and recycle data come from the current game item files (October 2026). Every ID is in our Rust item IDs list.
How to Craft a Burlap Shirt in Rust
- Pick two wild hemp plants. Each one gives 10 cloth. They grow in grass all over the map, so you will pass a few on the walk inland. Our hemp guide shows where they grow.
- Open your crafting menu (Q) and find the Burlap Shirt under Clothing. You already know the blueprint.
- Craft it anywhere. It takes 15 seconds with no workbench. Standing at a Workbench 1 halves that.
Cloth also comes from skinning animals and recycling old clothes. Our Rust cloth guide lists every source.
Burlap Shirt Protection
The Burlap Shirt cuts every bullet, arrow and melee hit on your chest and arms by 10%. That sounds small, but the torso takes most hits, and it can be the difference between three arrows and four. On our hunting bow page, even a burlap set adds a third arrow to the kill.
Its 7% cold protection helps at night and in temperate areas, but it will not keep you warm in snow. At 2% radiation it is no use for real rads; bring a Hazmat Suit. A full burlap set is enough for low radiation monuments like the Satellite Dish.
Burlap Shirt vs Every Other Rust Top
| Top | Bullet | Melee | Cold | Cost | Cloth per 1% bullet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlap Shirt | 10% | 10% | 7% | 20 cloth, no workbench | 2.0 |
| Hide Vest | 15% | 15% | 5% | 10 leather, no workbench | leather |
| T-Shirt | 15% | 15% | 6% | 25 cloth, WB1 | 1.7 |
| Longsleeve T-Shirt | 15% | 15% | 10% | 30 cloth, WB1 | 2.0 |
| Shirt | 17% | 15% | 6% | 25 cloth, WB1 | 1.5 |
| Hoodie | 20% | 15% | 8% | 40 cloth + 1 sewing kit, WB2 | 2.0 + kit |
The Burlap Shirt is the weakest top in the game and, per point of protection, not even the cheapest: the collared Shirt gives 1% bullet protection for every 1.5 cloth. What burlap has is no workbench and no blueprint. If you have killed a boar or a deer, a Hide Vest is better still on wipe day: 15% for 10 leather, also with no workbench.
The Full Burlap Set
| Piece | Slot | Cost | Bullet | Melee | Cold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlap Headwrap | Head | 10 cloth | 15% | 15% | 7% |
| Burlap Shirt | Chest and arms | 20 cloth | 10% | 10% | 7% |
| Burlap Trousers | Legs | 20 cloth | 10% | 10% | 7% |
| Burlap Gloves | Hands | 5 cloth | 5% | 5% | 4% |
| Burlap Shoes | Feet | 10 cloth | About 5% | About 5% | Low |
| Total | Whole body | 65 cloth | About 7 wild hemp plants, 75 seconds of crafting | ||
Every piece is a default blueprint with no workbench. One thing to know: the Burlap Headwrap uses the face slot, so it does not go with a bandana. Matching trousers are covered in our Rust pants guide, and the shoes in our boots guide. In the game files, the old burlap.gloves item is now named Leather Gloves (20 leather); the cloth Burlap Gloves are burlap.gloves.new.
What to Wear Over a Burlap Shirt
| Outer layer | Total with burlap | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Hide Poncho (15 leather, no workbench) | 20% bullet, 50% melee | Wipe day rock and spear fights |
| Jacket (WB1) | 25% bullet | Early roams |
| Road Sign Jacket | 30% bullet | Cheap PvP armor |
| Metal Chest Plate (WB3) | 35% bullet | When you have nothing better underneath |
If you are already wearing a chest plate, swap the burlap for a t-shirt or hoodie: the under-layer adds 5 to 10% more for very little cloth. Plan a full kit in our Rust outfit builder, or see how armor ranks in our Rust armor guide.
Burlap Shirt Skins
The Burlap Shirt has 35 skins. We checked the cheapest listing for each across 16 markets on October 30, 2026: 33 are for sale, and the median price is $1.81, so it is one of the cheapest items to skin in Rust.
| Skin | Cheapest price | Steam Market | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farmer Overalls Top | $14.43 | $19.05 | 64 |
| Arctic Protection Burlap Shirt | $11.32 | $15.00 | 459 |
| Burlap Bandit Shirt | $7.05 | $9.66 | 34 |
| Fisherman Burlap Shirt | $6.51 | $9.59 | 236 |
| Pirate Shirt | $5.10 | $7.76 | 77 |
| Mob Boss Burlap Shirt | $2.38 | $3.48 | 279 |
| Hayman Burlap Shirt (Halloween 2026) | $0.98 | $0.98 | 18 |
| Suitor Burlap Shirt | $0.49 | $0.63 | 425 |
The newest is the Hayman Burlap Shirt, part of the $2.97 Hayman scarecrow set in the 2026 Halloween store; see our Rust Halloween skins list. Skins are cosmetic only and do not change protection. For where to buy or trade them, see our Rust skins guide and skin trading sites.
Recycling a Burlap Shirt
| Recycler | Cloth back |
|---|---|
| Safe zone (40%) | 8 cloth |
| Monument, unpowered (50%) | 10 cloth |
| Monument, powered (60%) | 12 cloth |
| Power Plant (75%) | 15 cloth |
It gives no scrap, so only recycle spare shirts when you want the cloth for bandages or a sleeping bag. Rates are explained in our recycler guide.
Burlap Shirt Tips
- Craft it on spawn. Punch two hemp plants and you are dressed before you reach the treeline.
- Hide vest if you have leather. 15% for 10 leather beats burlap’s 10% for 20 cloth.
- Hide Poncho on top. 50% melee protection makes you hard to kill in rock fights.
- Swap at Workbench 1. A t-shirt or the collared Shirt adds 5 to 7% for a few more cloth.
- Keep spares by your bag. They cost almost nothing and spare you a naked respawn.
- Plan around the wipe. Burlap is what you wear on day one. Check when the next Rust force wipe is so you are ready.
Server admins can spawn one with inventory.give burlap.shirt 1 in the F1 console. More commands are in our Rust admin commands list.
Burlap Shirt FAQ
How do you make a burlap shirt in Rust?
Craft it from 20 cloth with no workbench. It is a default blueprint, so you can make it from spawn in 15 seconds. Two wild hemp plants give the 20 cloth.
How much cloth is a burlap shirt in Rust?
A Burlap Shirt costs 20 cloth. The full burlap set (headwrap, shirt, trousers, gloves and shoes) costs 65 cloth.
Do you need a workbench for a burlap shirt?
No. The Burlap Shirt needs no workbench and no research. A workbench only makes it craft faster, about 7 seconds at a Workbench 1.
How much protection does a burlap shirt give in Rust?
The Burlap Shirt gives 10% projectile, 10% melee, 7% cold, 3% bite and 2% radiation protection on the chest and arms.
Is the burlap shirt or the hide vest better in Rust?
The Hide Vest is better. It gives 15% bullet and melee protection for 10 leather, while the Burlap Shirt gives 10% for 20 cloth. Both need no workbench.
Can you wear a burlap shirt with a t-shirt in Rust?
No. The Burlap Shirt, T-Shirt, Shirt, Longsleeve, Hoodie and Hide Vest share the chest under-layer slot. You can wear a jacket, poncho or chest armor over it.
What do you get from recycling a burlap shirt in Rust?
A powered monument recycler returns 12 cloth, a safe zone recycler 8, and the Power Plant 15. There is no scrap.
What is the most expensive burlap shirt skin in Rust?
On October 30, 2026 the Farmer Overalls Top was the most expensive at $14.43 for the cheapest listing, followed by the Arctic Protection Burlap Shirt at $11.32. The median burlap shirt skin costs $1.81.
What is the burlap shirt item ID in Rust?
The Burlap Shirt is burlap.shirt with item ID 602741290. Admins can spawn one with inventory.give burlap.shirt 1.
Sources and Further Reading
- Recipe, blueprint, despawn and recycle data: Rust game item files via rust-game-icons (October 2026)
- Protection values: RustClash, Burlap Shirt
- Item ID and description: Facepunch Wiki, Burlap Shirt
- Skin prices: cheapest listing across 16 markets via rust-skin-archives (October 30, 2026)