Workbenches are only found in settlements, hideouts and at the Aurora, but they allow the player character to produce all kinds of consumables, ammo and throwables and also to repair their gas mask and clean their weapons. Backpack can be used nearly anywhere, as Artyom carries his backpack almost at all times since he first gets it at Volga, but it only allows to craft consumables, pneumatic ammunition and non-explosive throwables. The player character can use either their backpack, or a workbench for crafting.
Dead snakes and worms can also be looted for chemicals. Another way of getting chemicals is by collecting luminescent mushrooms and nettles. Chemicals are usually found in various bottles, canisters or other liquid containers. Chemicals are represented by an icon which shows an Erlenmeyer flask with a bubble-producing liquid inside. Chemicals are needed for crafting combustion and special ammunition, medkits, filters and explosive throwables (grenades and molotovs). Chemicals are the second crafting resource, slightly rarer than materials, but still fairly common.
