📋 Why You Need Expired Respirators
Expired Respirators are essential crafting materials for the Trophy Display Project - Stage 2: Soaring Menaces. This hideout upgrade project requires various ARC-related materials to unlock valuable rewards and progress your base development.
Stage 2: Soaring Menaces Requirements
To complete this stage, you'll need to collect the following items:
- 3× Expired Respirator → Reward: 3× Photoelectric Cloak
- 10× Spotter Relay → Reward: 3× Vita Spray
- 20× Wasp Driver → Reward: 20 Raider Tokens
- 15× Hornet Driver → Reward: Vita Shot Blueprint
While Expired Respirators can technically appear in any medical loot container across all maps, random searching is time-consuming and unreliable. This guide focuses on the most consistent and safest method to farm these items efficiently.
🎯 Best Location: Testing Annex on Dam Battlegrounds
The Testing Annex facility on Dam Battlegrounds is the premier location for farming Expired Respirators. This medical research building offers several key advantages over other options like Buried City Hospital:
Testing Annex - Dam Battlegrounds
Location: Southern section of Dam Battlegrounds map
Why It's Best:
- High density of medical containers with correct loot pool
- Significantly less player traffic than Buried City Hospital
- Extremely close extraction point for quick repeat runs
- Spawns additional useful medical materials simultaneously
- Lower overall risk allows for safer farming sessions
⚠️ Alternative Location: Buried City Hospital
While Buried City Hospital also contains medical loot that can drop Expired Respirators, it's a high-traffic PvP hotspot. The Testing Annex offers similar spawn rates with significantly less risk, making it the superior choice for focused farming.
Alternative: Stella Montis Medical Area
Location: Medical facility on Stella Montis map
Why Consider It:
- Excellent medical loot density with Expired Respirator spawns
- Generally peaceful in low-aggression lobbies
- Great for collecting additional medical materials and general loot
- Less visited than Dam Battlegrounds locations
Note: This location works best if you've been matched into a low-aggression lobby through behavior-based matchmaking. The medical area contains high-value loot, making it attractive to aggressive players in contested lobbies.
🎒 Preparation: Loadout and Server Selection
Before starting your Expired Respirator farming runs, proper preparation will dramatically increase your success rate and efficiency.
Essential: Bring a Safe Pocket
A Safe Pocket is absolutely critical for efficient farming. This container guarantees that any Expired Respirators you collect are secured even if you're eliminated during the raid.
- Use either a basic custom loadout with Safe Pocket included
- Or use a free loadout if Safe Pockets are available
- Place Expired Respirators in your Safe Pocket immediately upon finding them
Recommended: Movement Items
Speed is efficiency when farming materials. Consider bringing:
- Adrenaline Shots: Significantly reduce travel time between spawn and Testing Annex
- Light armor loadouts to maximize movement speed
- Minimal weapon loadout (you're avoiding fights, not seeking them)
💡 Pro Tip: Server Selection for Peaceful Farming
If avoiding PvP is your priority, consider switching to NA servers during off-peak hours. ARC Raiders uses behavior-based matchmaking, which means players who consistently avoid combat often end up in lobbies with similarly-minded players. The more you farm peacefully, the more likely you'll encounter less aggressive opponents in future matches.
🗺️ Step-by-Step Farming Route
Follow this proven route to maximize your Expired Respirator collection efficiency:
Step 1: Navigate to Testing Annex
After spawning on Dam Battlegrounds:
- Open your map and identify the Testing Annex in the southern section
- Plot the most direct route from your spawn location
- Use Adrenaline shots if available to reduce travel time
- Stay alert for other players, but remember most are focused on different objectives
Step 2: Enter and Navigate to the Medical Storage Area
Once you reach the Testing Annex building:
- Enter through the main entrance
- Locate the main staircase and head to the upper floor
- Turn left at the top of the stairs
- Follow the corridor through to the medical storage sections
This area contains the highest density of searchable medical containers with the correct loot pool for Expired Respirators.
Step 3: Thoroughly Search All Medical Containers
This is the critical phase - check every searchable object:
- Medical supply cabinets (highest priority)
- Desk drawers and filing cabinets
- Metal shelving units throughout the corridors
- Medical carts and equipment containers
Expired Respirators spawn consistently in this location across multiple container types. Don't rush - thoroughly searching the entire area takes only 2-3 minutes and significantly increases your chances.
Bonus Medical Loot
While farming Expired Respirators, you'll also find other valuable medical items including:
- Cracked Bioscanners - Used in various crafting recipes
- Rusted Shut Medical Kits - Sellable or craftable materials
- Antiseptic - Common but useful crafting component
- Various medical supplies for healing item crafting
Consider bringing extra inventory space to collect these items for additional profit.
Step 4: Secure Your Loot Immediately
The moment you find an Expired Respirator:
- Open your inventory
- Immediately place it in your Safe Pocket
- Continue searching the rest of the area
- Only head to extraction once you've cleared all containers
This ensures you don't lose progress if you encounter unexpected combat.
Step 5: Extract Quickly and Repeat
The Testing Annex's greatest advantage is extraction proximity:
- Head to the nearby extraction point (one of the closest on the map)
- Extract with your secured Expired Respirator
- Immediately queue for another Dam Battlegrounds raid
- Repeat the route until you have all 3 required respirators
Expected completion time: Most players secure all 3 Expired Respirators within three short runs using this method - often faster than a single contested Buried City Hospital attempt.
⚔️ Combat Avoidance Strategy
Since you're farming materials rather than seeking combat, use these tactics to maximize survival:
- Off-peak timing: Farm during less popular play hours for fewer player encounters
- Audio awareness: Listen for footsteps and gunfire - if you hear combat nearby, wait or relocate
- Quick looting: Don't linger - get in, search thoroughly but efficiently, and get out
- Escape route planning: Always know your nearest exit before you start looting
- Minimal loadout: Bring just enough gear to defend yourself if absolutely necessary
If You Encounter Other Players
If you run into other players at Testing Annex, remember: most are likely farming materials just like you. Try using voice communication to coordinate peaceful looting, or simply disengage and extract to try again. Your Safe Pocket means any respirators already found are secured regardless.
💰 Why This Method Works
The Testing Annex route consistently outperforms other farming methods because it optimizes multiple factors:
Efficiency Analysis
- Spawn Rate: Testing Annex has equivalent or better Expired Respirator spawn rates compared to Buried City Hospital
- Container Density: Dozens of searchable medical containers in a compact area
- Time Investment: 5-8 minute runs including travel and extraction
- Risk vs. Reward: Minimal PvP exposure with maximum loot potential
- Repeatability: Fast extraction enables immediate re-runs
Compare this to Buried City Hospital, which typically requires:
- Navigating through heavily contested urban environments
- Competing with multiple player teams for the same loot
- Longer travel distances to extractions
- Higher risk of losing progress to PvP encounters
📊 Expected Results and Success Rate
Based on extensive community testing, here's what you can expect from the Testing Annex farming method:
Farming Statistics
- Average runs needed: 2-4 runs to collect all 3 Expired Respirators
- Find rate per run: 60-80% chance of finding at least one Expired Respirator per thorough search
- Time per run: 5-8 minutes including travel and extraction
- Total time investment: 15-30 minutes for complete Trophy Display requirement
These statistics assume thorough searching of all containers and using a Safe Pocket to prevent loss.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Where do Expired Respirators spawn in ARC Raiders?
Expired Respirators spawn in medical loot containers across all maps. The Testing Annex on Dam Battlegrounds offers the highest concentration of medical containers in a low-risk area, making it the best farming location. Alternative options include Buried City Hospital (heavily contested) and the medical area on Stella Montis (excellent for low-aggression lobbies with bonus general loot).
How many Expired Respirators do I need?
You need exactly 3 Expired Respirators to complete Stage 2: Soaring Menaces of the Trophy Display Project. Collecting all three rewards you with 3 Photoelectric Cloaks, which are valuable tactical gear items.
Can I trade for Expired Respirators instead of farming them?
Yes, Expired Respirators can be traded between players. Check community trading platforms if you prefer to acquire them through trade rather than farming. However, the Testing Annex method is so efficient that most players find farming faster than arranging trades.
What other items should I look for while farming Testing Annex?
While farming Expired Respirators, also collect Cracked Bioscanners, Rusted Shut Medical Kits, Antiseptic, and any medical crafting materials you find. These have value for other hideout projects and can be sold or used for healing item crafting.
Is Testing Annex always safer than Buried City Hospital?
Generally yes, but no location is completely safe in ARC Raiders. Testing Annex sees significantly less player traffic because Buried City Hospital is more well-known and is near high-value loot locations. However, always remain alert and use good tactical practices regardless of location.
What happens if I die before extracting?
If you placed your Expired Respirators in a Safe Pocket before dying, they'll be automatically saved and available in your hideout. This is why using a Safe Pocket is essential - it guarantees progress even on failed runs.
Can I farm multiple Trophy Display materials in one run?
Yes! The Testing Annex route focuses on Expired Respirators, but you can combine it with ARC farming for Spotter Relays, Wasp Drivers, and Hornet Drivers by taking a slightly longer route before extracting. Just be aware this increases your exposure time and risk.
Do Expired Respirators respawn during a raid?
No, loot containers do not respawn during an active raid. Once you've searched all containers in Testing Annex, you'll need to extract and start a new raid to farm more Expired Respirators.
🎯 Final Tips for Efficient Farming
To maximize your Expired Respirator farming efficiency, keep these final tips in mind:
- Always use Safe Pockets: This single item makes the difference between efficient farming and wasted time
- Search thoroughly: Don't skip containers - Expired Respirators can spawn in any medical container type
- Farm during off-peak hours: Fewer players means safer, faster runs
- Keep runs short: Get in, loot, extract, repeat - don't get greedy exploring other areas
- Stay focused on the goal: You're here for 3 specific items, not general looting
- Track your progress: Note in your hideout how many more Expired Respirators you need
- Consider batch farming: Farm all Stage 2 materials together if you're efficient at multi-objective runs
Complete Your Trophy Display Project
Once you've collected your 3 Expired Respirators, return to your hideout and deliver them to the Trophy Display Project board. You'll receive 3 Photoelectric Cloaks and unlock the next stage of hideout development. Don't forget to also collect the other Stage 2 materials: Spotter Relays, Wasp Drivers, and Hornet Drivers!
🔗 Related Resources
Check out these other helpful guides for your ARC Raiders journey:
- ARC Raiders Beginner's Guide - Essential tips for new players
- Dam Battlegrounds Interactive Map - Full map with all points of interest
- Harvester Raid Guide - Complete walkthrough for ARC encounters
- Item Database - Full list of crafting materials and their uses
Happy farming, Raiders! With this Testing Annex route, you'll have your Expired Respirators collected and your Photoelectric Cloaks equipped in no time.