Lonely is the road that finds your potion stack gone, your seeds depleted, and your herb stores bone dry. Every Ironman reaches that point - staring at an empty bank wondering if this self-sufficient lifestyle was really a good idea. But fear not. Even when your supplies are low, there’s always a way forward. For regular accounts, some players choose to buy OSRS gold to restock and recover faster, but for Ironmen, the grind itself is the reward. This guide walks you through how to maintain a steady flow of resources, covering gathering methods, food, farming, herblore, and crafting essentials.

Gathering the Essentials

As an Ironman, your gathering skills are your lifeline. Mining, Woodcutting, Fishing, Farming, and Hunter aren’t just grinds - they’re survival tools. Traditional gathering now has extra depth with skilling bosses and minigames that reward valuable resources.

Skilling bosses like Wintertodt, Tempoross, Hespori, and Volcanic Mine are great early to mid-game supply sources. For skilling minigames, focus on Motherlode Mine for ores, Blast Furnace and Giants’ Foundry for bars, Guardians of the Rift for runes, and Veil Totems for flax and bowstrings.

Wintertodt remains one of the best early sources for food, supplies, and Firemaking XP. Even though its damage system has changed, it’s still worthwhile, especially if you snag a Tome of Fire or Dragon Axe early.

Don’t underestimate daily and weekly content either. Check Kingdom of Miscellania weekly for herbs and hardwoods, and complete your Tears of Guthix run. Daily farm runs, birdhouse runs, and farming contracts keep your resource flow steady. Collect battle staves from Zaff, sand from Bert, and slime and bone meal from Robin after completing the respective diaries.

Stocking Up on Food

Food is your most crucial supply. The traditional path is Fishing - carambwans, sharks, and beyond. Carambwans double as combo food, letting you eat them in the same tick as another item, crucial for PvM and PvP.

If you’re fishing sharks, you can choose between minnows at 82 Fishing with full Angler gear, or harpooning directly at 76 Fishing. The new shark lures, dropped by various bosses, boost your catch rate dramatically. Combine this with the Fish Barrel from Tempoross to AFK efficiently.

Hunter meats, a newer addition, heal over time - restoring health in two ticks. They’re great for sustained combat and scale well with higher Hunter levels. You’ll find the best ones at the Hunter Guild in Varlamore once you progress far enough.

Lastly, blighted foods function like normal food but are only usable in the Wilderness or PvP activities. Perfect for Wilderness Slayer or PKing.

Farming and Herblore: Growing Power

Farming fuels Herblore, one of the trickiest skills for Ironmen. Seeds are your foundation - get them from master farmers, farming contracts, or Slayer monsters like Aberrant Spectres, Nechryaels, and Turoths.

Use Magic Secateurs for a 10% boost to crop yield and Ultra Compost for the best returns. You can make ultra compost by adding volcanic ash to super compost. Once you have the Bottomless Compost Bucket from Hespori, you’ll never need to worry about compost again.

For herb patches, prioritize Ranarr, Snapdragon, and Toadflax, or whatever matches your secondary ingredients. Use the Farming Guild early - at level 45 you gain access to seed storage and the large compost bin, while Hespori at 65 Farming rewards you with seeds and the coveted compost bucket.

Crafting and Resource Management

Crafting may seem simple, but it’s vital for keeping your account supplied. Early on, buy glassblowing materials from charter traders in Port Khazard. Your goal is to reach Superglass Make - using giant seaweed and sandstone-mined sand for glassblowing.

With the new Veil Totems minigame, crafting and fletching got an upgrade. The Bow String Spool now holds up to 100,000 bowstrings, making flax spinning easier than ever. Pair that with the Lunar Spell Spin Flax or Kandarin Diary bonus for smooth XP gains.

You’ll also earn Crafting XP from making jewelry, battle staves, and dehyde bodies. Don’t forget gem mining - wearing a charged Amulet of Glory while mining increases gem drop rates, and you can trade stardust for gem bags.

Final Tips for Sustainability

Being an Ironman means learning efficiency. Keep your bank organized with RuneLite plugins like Bank Tags and Time Tracking for farm runs. Keep up with Slayer, since many monsters drop seeds, herbs, and secondaries you’ll constantly need. While Ironman mode is all about self-sufficiency, players on main accounts can save valuable time and resources by looking for cheap RS gold from trusted sources to speed up their progress. Most importantly, enjoy the grind. Every herb grown, fish caught, or potion brewed is a reminder that your progress is entirely your own. The Ironman life isn’t easy - but every stack of supplies and every maxed skill makes it worth the struggle.