Don’t Starve Walking Cane: How to Craft It & Run Faster

Speed is survival. In Don’t Starve (DS) and Don’t Starve Together (DST), being slow means death. If you cannot outrun a pack of Hounds or dodge the Deerclops, your game is over.

The Walking Cane is the most essential tool in the game. It provides a permanent 25% speed boost. It has infinite durability. Once you make one, you never have to make another.

We will show you how to hunt MacTusk, get the tusk, and craft this essential item before your first Winter ends.

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Why Is the Walking Cane So Good?

You might think a spear or armor is more important. You are wrong.

• Speed is King: The cane boosts your movement speed by 25% while you hold it. This allows you to explore the map faster during the short daylight hours of Winter.
• Infinite Durability: Unlike an axe or a spear, the cane never breaks. You can use it to kill small enemies like spiders (it deals 17 damage), but its real power is movement.
• Kiting Bosses: You cannot effectively “kite” (hit and run) bosses without it. To fight the Deerclops or Bearger without armor, you need the speed to run in, hit twice, and run out before they swing.

The Recipe: How to Make a Walking Cane

You need an Alchemy Engine to prototype this. The recipe is cheap, except for one hard-to-find item.

You can find Gold and Twigs easily. The Walrus Tusk requires a fight.

How to Get the Walrus Tusk (MacTusk Guide)

You cannot craft the cane in Autumn. You must wait for Winter.

• The Target: MacTusk (The Walrus).
• The Location: Look for the “Walrus Camp.” In Summer and Autumn, it looks like a flat circle of mud on the ground. In Winter, an igloo appears on that spot.
• The Drop Rate: The Tusk has a 50% drop chance. It is not guaranteed.

The Strategy:

1. Find the Igloo: Locate it before Winter starts so you know where to go.
2. Wait for Day: MacTusk comes out during the day to hunt.
3. Ignore the Hounds: He has two Ice Hounds protecting him. Try to separate them.
4. Chase Him: MacTusk attacks from a distance with a blowdart. If you run at him, he will run away. Chase him until he is far from his home.
5. The “Walk Home” Trick: When MacTusk gets too far from his camp, he stops fighting and tries to walk home. This is when you strike. He will not fight back while walking home.

Skins and Cosmetic Variants

In Don’t Starve Together, you can change how the cane looks. These skins do not change the stats. They just look cool.

• Ancient Cane: This skin makes the cane look like Thulecite gear from the Ruins.
• Corrupted Cane: A spooky, shadow-themed skin.
• Rosy Red Cane: A special event skin with a floral design.

The “Lazy Explorer” Upgrade

Do not stop at the cane. Later in the game, when you explore the Ruins, you can upgrade it.

The Recipe: 1 Walking Cane + 2 Orange Gems + Nightmare Fuel.

This creates The Lazy Explorer. It still gives the 25% speed boost, but it gains a new power. You can right-click on the ground to teleport instantly.

Warning: Teleporting costs durability. If you use it too much, the item breaks. However, walking with it does not drain durability.

The “Wooden Walking Stick” (Hamlet DLC)

Do not get confused. The “Wooden Walking Stick” is a different item found only in the Hamlet DLC (Single Player).

It functions exactly like the Walking Cane. It gives the same speed boost and damage. However, you craft it differently: 1 Tenpig Scraps + 2 Twigs + 2 Vines.

Console Commands (For Cheaters & Testers)

Sometimes the world generation bugs out. If you want to spawn the cane instantly, use the console.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Final Thoughts: Never Unequip It

Once you craft the Walking Cane, it should live in your hand slot. Switch to a spear only when you need to fight. Switch to a pickaxe only when you need to mine. For every other second of the game, hold the cane. Speed saves lives.