How To Transport Dinos in Ark: Survival Ascended – No Cryos? No Problem!

Since cryopods entered the scene in Ark: Survival Evolved, players have easily transported dinos across the map. That’s no longer the case since Ark: Survival Ascended decided to do away with cryopods for now.

I was around playing Ark before the days of cryopods, so I remember the less efficient but safe methods used to transport dinos across the map.

Take a look at some ways you can transport dinos in Ark: Survival Ascended without cryopods.

Bottom Line Up Front – Back to the Basics

You just tamed a dino. Carnivores are closing in. Check out these methods to see everything you need to bring your dino back home safely and soundly.

Constructs/Structures:	Raft, Behemoth Walls, Dino Gates
Flying Tames:	Pteronadon, Argentavis, Quetzal, Rhynio
Land Tames:	Bronto, Paracer

A Lack of Cryopods Requires Players to Get Creative with Transporting Dinos

Cryopods changed how everyone played Ark: Survival Evolved. Dinos that were primarily used for transporting other dinos were no longer tamed. Players had entire sections of their bases devoted to cryopod storage. They even helped reduce some problems with lag since players could safely store their dinos digitally rather than keeping them out and loaded in the game.

Those days are over until Studio Wildcard releases cryopods into the game again.

It’s time to return to the basics of dino transporting with a few new additions. There are already giant dinos out there that allow you to build mobile bases on them. Some can even carry dinos from one place to the next.

Cryopods may no longer be around to allow you to store your dino and transport them safely, but there are alternatives.

Build a Raft to Transport Dinos Across the Ocean

• Crafting Materials: 250 Wood, 125 Fiber, 75 Hide
• Pros: Can sometimes safely transport dinos from point A to point B without problem, most dinos can fit on it, good way to also tame dinos.
• Cons: Big dinos can’t fit, takes a long time to travel, require you to reach raft, exposed to Leedysithicus

When starting in Ark, the biggest hurdle to jump is taming a dino that can carry other dinos. Before that, there’s a genuine chance that your newly tamed dino might die on the way to your base. An excellent beginner dino transport is a raft with some enclosure built on it.

Rafts are an underutilized structure in Ark that works well as a mobile base. It’s also helpful in taming and transporting dinos. You can even tame and transport simultaneously with the proper raft build.

Admittedly, the Island map could be better for rafts since there isn’t a river that cuts through it. If you want to tame something on the other side of the map, you’ll have to drive your raft along the coast to get there. Besides taking up time, it also puts you in danger.

Swimming deep in the ocean depths is the dreaded Leedysithicus. It’s a whale-like dinosaur with a bad temper. I had a real jumpscare the first time I encountered a Leedysithicus. It’s possible to avoid them, though. All you need to do is stick close to the coast. Avoid the deep ocean, and transporting shouldn’t be a problem.

Another hurdle to jump is getting the dino to the raft. Sometimes, you can kite the dino right onto the raft, knock it unconscious, and then drive it home. You must often park the raft as close to your jumping-off point as possible and head deep into the island to find the dino you want to tame.

It’s risky, especially on foot, with nothing else to protect you, but it’s possible.

The raft can transport most dinos, but you won’t be able to bring back big dinos like the Bronto and Giga. You also can only transport a few large dinosaurs like Rexes and Allosauruses at the same time.

Using a raft to transport dinos is excellent for beginners, but as soon as you start taming transport dinos, they’re far more efficient to use.

Make a Protected Highway for Dinos with Behemoth Gates or Dino Gates

	Behemoth Gate	Dino Gate
Crafting Resources (with gate included):	1350 Stone, 1350 Wood, 1350 Thatch	340 Stone, 170 Wood, 120 Thatch
Pros:	Keeps big dinos out, covers more ground.	Requires fewer resources, keeps all but big dinos out.
Cons:	Expensive to make.	Big dinos can reach down and damage tames.

Depending on if you’re playing in single-player mode or have a private server with friends, you can also make safe channels, or highways, of transport. This is ultimately a costly method since you’ll use many resources. However, if you want to get somewhere filled with dangerous dinosaurs and don’t have an escort dino available, this method works.

You must build dino or behemoth gates and then line them up to create a protective barrier. Once you’re done taming your new dino, you can ride it back between the gates in a secure path.

This method could be more efficient and works best when used close to your base. You can also connect it to a taming pen or trap.

When choosing between behemoth or regular dino gates, you should consider the dinos in the area. If they’re small or medium-sized, dino gates will work fine. If you have Gigas, Brontos, or other big dinos in the region, then behemoth gates will ensure they don’t stick their heads over the gates to bite you and your dino.

When you’re desperate and don’t have any battle dinos, this method can help you transport dinos home.

Make Platform Saddles for Land Dinos

	Bronto Platform Saddle	Paracer Platform Saddle
Crafting Resources:	550 Hide, 325 Fiber, 90 Metal Ingots, 125 Silica Pearls, 45 Cementing Paste	320 Hide, 200 Fiber, 70 Metal Ingots, 45 Silica Pearls, 25 Cementing Paste
Level Unlock:	82	50
Armor:	25	20
Pros:	More armor, can hold up to 63 structures, can carry most dinos.	Earlier level unlock, easier to craft.
Cons:	Requires high level to unlock, expensive to make.	Less armor, can only hold up to 32 structures.

If you want to make transporting dinos easier for yourself, you should tame a Bronto or Paracer early in the game. Even a low-level Bronto works wonders. That’s because only some dinos mess with Brontos. Paracers, on the other hand, still face attacks from medium-sized dinos. Only Rexes, Spinos, and Gigas will try to tangle with a Bronto.

That makes the Bronto an ideal choice for a transport dino. The Bronto and Paracer have a platform saddle you can craft and equip on them. The platform saddle allows you to build a mobile base atop them. More importantly, you can make a flat top with a ramp going down that lets you ride dinosaurs up to the top.

You can carry several dinos on the Bronto’s back and build a small area to stay warm or cook food. Not only does a platform base make it easier to tame dinos, since you can safely remain nearby, but you can load up the dino after taming and head to your stationary base.

The Bronto and Paracer platform saddles are different, however. You’ll need to reach level 82 to unlock the Bronto platform saddle. It’s far more expensive to make than the Paracer platform saddle, too. However, the saddle has more armor and can carry more structures. It can hold up to 63 structures instead of the Paracer’s 32 structures.

You’re able to make more extensive bases on the Bronto’s saddle.

The advantage of the Paracer platform saddle is that it’s less expensive to craft, and you only need to be level 50 to unlock it. The Paracer platform saddle could be your first option if you’re desperate for a mobile base.

Land dinos offer a great way to transport your other dinos with platform saddles.

Tame Flying Dinos to Carry Dinos

While only two land dinos can reliably transport your dinos, you have a larger collection of flying dinos that can also carry and transport your dinos. However, only some flying tame are capable of holding every dino. An Argentavis, for example, is able to carry larger dinos than a Pteranodon can carry.

Take a look at the different flying tames to see which one can handle your transport needs.

Pteranodon:	Achatina, Compy, Dilo, Dodo, Hesperonis, Hyena, Kairuku, Lystro, Mesopithecus, Otter, Oviraptor, Pego, Trilobite, Troodon
Argentavis:	Small Dinos + Anky, Beelzebufo, Castoroides, Daeodon, Direwolf, Doedicurus, Dung Beetle, Equus, Iguanodon, Megaloceros, Ovis, Parasaur, Phiomia, Raptor, Sabretooth, Thyla
Quetzal:	Small, Medium Dinos + Carno, Dire Bear, Mammoth, Sarco, Theri, Woolly Rhino.
Rhyniognatha:	Small, Medium, Large Dinos + Diplo, Gallimimus, Kapro, Megalosaurus, Paracer, Procoptodon, Rex, Spino, Tapejara, Yuty

The Quetzal also has a platform saddle you can use as a mobile base. By adding a ramp onto it, you can ride dinos up to the platform and fly them around the map. If you still need to tame a Rhynio, I recommend taming a Quetzal and putting a platform saddle on it. You can carry almost every dino except for other dinos that can also have platform saddles put on them.

Crafting Resources:	620 Hide, 400 Fiber, 180 Metal Ingots, 220 Silica Pearls, 120 Cementing Paste
Level Unlock:	97
Armor:	25

Specific large dinos also cannot go on the saddle.

But you can easily carry a Rex and other dinos that you can use to protect a dino while it’s taming. Then, once it’s tamed, you can load everyone onto the Quetzal and take off. Since you’re flying, there’s no risk to your tames either.

With a land dino, there’s always a chance that you’ll run into something that will try to eat you. With a flying tame, especially on the Island map, you’re untouchable in the air (at least on PVE servers).

If you’re one of the lucky players who tamed a Rhynio, then your transport needs are entirely met. The Rhynio can carry dinos that typically aren’t carryable. It’s fast, deadly in combat, and maneuverable.

Once you have built yourself up, you’ll want to strictly go after a Rhynio to make dino transporting on Ark: Survival Ascended much easier.

Tips for Transporting Your Dinos Safely Across the Map

Now that you know which dinos to focus on for transporting your other dinos around the map, a few more expert tips can help ensure the transport dino survives the trip. Follow these tips to make it back home safely.

Breed Transport Dinos To Have the Perfect Stats

Transport dinos need three main stats: Weight, Stamina, and Health.

Weight will help your dinos carry more. You can fit another dino or two on top of its platform saddle. Stamina is vital for both land and flying dinos. You’ll want to get to your base as soon as possible, especially if you are on the other side of the map.

To run, you’re going to be using stamina. The more stamina your dino has, the longer it can run or fly. That also reduces the number of times you must stop your dino to replenish its stamina. Landing can be dangerous.

Health is essential in case the dino comes across something that wants to fight it. If your transport dino dies, then everyone will fall to the ground. Whatever killed the transport dino could likely kill everyone else, too. A tame with high health has a chance of surviving until you can get some help or kill the enemy.

Breed transport dinos. Focus on having their weight, stamina, and health stats mutated. After some time, you’ll have a dino with excellent health, weight, and stamina who is great at transporting dinos across great distances.

Plan Your Route with Base Locations for Safe Places To Rest

Whenever I’m going out taming with my Quetzal, I need a few safe places to rest it and let it regenerate its stamina. I’m always on the lookout for possible bases where I can land. Common courtesy also means that I check to ensure anyone is home first. I don’t need anyone thinking I’m up to no good, after all.

I recommend this strategy because the last thing you want is to carry a dino somewhere, land for stamina, and find yourself under attack by a Rex. You may not always be able to escape if your tame is already low on stamina.

By landing on bases or in the yard, you have a secure area to regenerate your stamina and be on your way.

Only some players are comfortable with other players resting on their bases, however. If you see a player, tell them in the Local Chat that you’re regenerating your stamina. They may not be happy about it, but you’ll lower their suspicions, at least.

Bring Some Escort Battle Tames for Protection

If you’re using a land tame to transport a dino in Ark: Survival Ascended, then it’s a good idea to have a Rex or two, at least, as an escort. High-level Thylas, Theris, and Megatheriums also work well as transport escorts.

The ultimate tame protector is a Giga. Once you have a Giga as part of your escort, wild dinos won’t become a problem anymore.

A tribe can easily have one person riding the transport dino and the other riding the escort dino. If you’re playing solo, then you can ride the escort dino and have the transport dino follow you. With an escort, you won’t have to worry about your land dino transporter dying.

Questions and Answers

Stop Losing Your Tames and Plan Accordingly

If your tames keep dying before you can get them back to your base, you need to strategize more. Ark is a challenging game, especially when you’re first starting. Taming transport dinos can help you get other dinos safely back to the base. In a world without cryopods, it’s time for everyone to go back to their roots.

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