carrying capacity is an eternal struggle,

I'm trying to use my companions to store stuff, but they all seem to be weak little [censored]es. Even paladin danse, clumping around in power armour, can barely handle a couple heavy weapons.

I'm using companions to lug around my legendary missile launcher, fat man, and three weapons of their own to use. With those things as overhead, i can barely make them carry anything else. I thought it was just because i was using piper.

Questions:

1. Do the companions actually have differing capacities from each other? or are they all the same?

2. If so, who is best/worst. is there a list?

3. Are companions affected by armour mods that increase carrying capacity?

4. Are companions affected by strength boosts, and/or do they actually gain capacity from extra strength?

I'd like advice on the subject of capacity in general. i've already maxed the Strong Back perk and got plenty points in strength. is there anything i can do to increase my capacity beyond chugging buffout and putting pockets in everything?

How do you manage all of your stuff?

LOL stop being so greedy!

Really though, I would imagine that Strong carries the most. I don't use companions so don't know for sure. It would be handy to know exactly how much they can carry though.

from what I have experienced the only thing that can increase their carry weight is pocked or deep pocketed equipped armor there is no way to actually view your companions stats so this is really just an educated guess

There is a perk that raises companion inventory limit.

But, I don't know the name of it because I don't use companions...my inventory limit is about 510 right now, I think.

Strong can carry by far the most from what I've experienced.

A pack mule named Dogmeat. He is the only companion I use and he follows me around every "dungeon" waiting for me to throw crap at him. He doesn't talk (thank god, looking at you Strong, you big idiot), he doesn't judge me based on dialogue, he finds all sorts of crap I miss, he's adorable as hell in his little dog armor, and when he gets hurt things die very violently, then i play with him with the left over chunks of meat.

He also looks adorable wearing his goggles.

I'm also wondering if they benefit from modding their armor to increase weigh limit.. and statted clothes..

You can also increase their carrying capacity by having them put on power armor, they don't even use/need a fusion core.

Dogmeat has 50, I think. Don't know 'bout the others.

are you sure that works? What's the increase?

Yes i'm sure with piper completely empty ( not even clothing) i was able to load up up with 215 pounds of stuff, after ordering into a set of power armor (No fusion coret) she was able to hold another 60 pounds. This does not account for any added slots due to pocket or deep pockets padding since she wasn't wearing anything to give bonus.

Intersting thing happened to me yesterday, I had preston as a companion in a T-45 suit modded for carrying capacity.

Sometime during a mission I loaded him up with stuff until he couldn't carry any more, then found a power armor suit that was missing the legs and one arm, put it on.

Some time later my inventory was full again, I took the calibrated legs off preston and put them on my suit so I could carry more, and then suddenly preston was able to carry several hundred pounds more than before, as if the power armor was just weighing him down, might be a bug, dunno.

Pocketed armor also increase their carry weight.

Does it seem like a good idea then, to put a companion into a power armour frame with all the plates stripped off? That would give a lot of capacity i think.

Would their normal armour still protect them, or would they be treated as defenseless in that situation?

The underlying armor has no effect on PA. Furthermore, PA pieces don't have weight when they are mounted on a frame. Also, the frame itself doesn't increase carry weight, methinks.

Wow! How did you manage that?

Strength of 10, Lone Wanderer Perk (x2), Strong Back Perk (x2), and Deep Pocketed on all my gear...I rarely run out of space, and pick everything up.

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout_4_companions

if you click on the companions you can find out their carry weight...

Also even with a strength of 7, lone wanderer rank 2, strong back 3, and pocketed gear, I can carry about 400 pounds of equipment..... I know it svcks because I do pick up everything and sell or store or break down stuff.... I usually just pick up everything and walk back until I get strong back 4 when I can fast travel while over encumbered. who cares I'm lugging around 1,000 pounds of equipment especially when settlements are very close together in some areas.

How to you get them IN to the power armor? I have like 8 suites and would live to put them on my companions!

You have to command them to do it. Look at them, hit command, look at the armor and click on it and it should make them get into it.

Wow, I think you'd have a mental breakdown if you played my current character. Str and End at 1, with no companions.

There are tricks you can use If you have perks to burn though. Taking strong back, (I believe) rank 3 of companion perk, AND take lone wanderer perk.

You can use lone wanderer perk in two ways.
1. Use dogmeat, perk still applies.
2. When you done clearing the place and your looting, load up your companion and dismiss him home. They will bring your gear home and now your alone to finish loading up with the extra space from lone wanderer perk.

Talk to the companion while standing near PA, an option should appear to have them equip it.

Dogmeat is the only companion I have, and since it is not considered a companion by the game (don't know why), I still benefit from the Lone Wanderer perk.

I will note that - at least as far as I've personally found - companions in coreless power armor can't run properly. They walk around slowly like a player in unpowered PA.

But, if you stick a core in their armor while they wear it, they can use it infinitely, even if the charge is quite literally 1%. Good way to recycle your old, nearly burned-out cores.