If you're like most Elden Ring players, chances are your inventory is a mess. Between the countless weapons, talismans, crafting materials, and consumables, it’s easy to lose track of what’s essential and what’s just taking up space. While the game doesn’t punish you for hoarding (thanks to its generous storage system), having a clean, focused inventory can make your gameplay smoother—especially when switching gear mid-fight or building a new character.

After hundreds of hours exploring the Lands Between, I’ve picked up a few habits that help keep things tidy. Here are 9 setup tricks to reduce inventory clutter and keep your Elden Ring experience efficient.

1. Store Excess Weapons You’re Not Actively Using

Elden Ring loves throwing duplicate or situational weapons at you. Instead of hanging on to every Greatsword or Curved Sword, head to a Site of Grace and dump the ones you’re not currently building around into storage. It’s okay to hold onto a few unique drops, but if you're not planning to respec for a while, you don’t need five different colossal weapons in your quick menu.

2. Rename Your Favorite Equipment Loadouts

The Equipment menu lets you manually swap gear, but a great trick is to mentally group your go-to builds by theme (like "Faith Caster" or "Bleed Build") and use the Favorites menu to track them. It’s not exactly a loadout system, but organizing your setup around specific playstyles makes gear decisions more intentional—and your inventory less chaotic.

3. Discard Low-Tier Crafting Junk You’ll Never Use

Some crafting materials—like various bones and butterflies—pile up fast but don’t see much use past early game. If you’ve already bought or farmed enough Flask upgrades, don’t hesitate to discard lower-tier junk. Keeping only rare or mid-to-late game crafting components saves you scrolling time.

4. Mark Key Items with Inventory Icons

Elden Ring’s item marking system is simple but underrated. Use the small icon markers (like the star or bag symbol) to flag important consumables or weapons you’re testing. This doesn’t remove clutter, but it makes digging through your inventory way faster.

5. Avoid Looting Everything Just Because You Can

It’s tempting to pick up every item in sight, but many drops—like standard Bolts or low-grade armor—aren’t worth the space. If you’re running a spell-heavy build, skip those halberds and shields. Focus on items that complement your current path unless you're planning to sell or trade.

6. Sell Unused Gear to Clear Your Equipment List

At Roundtable Hold, Twin Maiden Husks and a few other NPCs will buy your unused weapons and armor. If you’re sitting on dozens of duplicates or gear you’ll never upgrade, sell them off. It won’t net you a fortune, but it trims down your list—and you can always use the runes. Speaking of which, if you're looking for cheap Elden Ring runes to get back on your feet after a respec or heavy upgrade spree, it’s better to be strategic with your spending.

7. Use the Storage Box Regularly—Not Just in Emergencies

Think of the storage chest as your personal vault for experimental builds or gear you want to revisit later. Use it actively, not passively. Every time you level up or change your build direction, take a minute to move things around.

8. Keep a “Favorites” Stack of Consumables Only

Don’t carry every item you’ve ever crafted. Keep a compact set of buffs, heals, and situational tools in your quick-use slot, and store the rest. There's no reason to lug around five types of greases if you're only using two.

9. Don’t Stockpile Upgrade Mats Unless You're Mid-Build

Somber and standard smithing stones are everywhere once you know where to farm. Unless you're mid-upgrade on multiple weapons, consider keeping only what you need. It’s okay to stash the rest or sell the extras. And if you’re short on gear to upgrade or are building an alt, looking for cheap Elden Ring Items from early-game merchants or loot sources can help without overloading your inventory.

Inventory management in Elden Ring doesn’t have to be a chore. With a few tweaks to how you handle looting, storing, and organizing your gear, you can reduce clutter and focus more on what matters—like surviving that next boss fight. Try implementing a few of these setup tricks and see how much smoother your experience becomes. Fewer distractions, faster builds, and more time for exploration.