Help! I’m wearing a box! (How to open boxes in Second Life)

Many items that you buy in Second Life come in boxes (containers). This is usually done so the creator can put multiple items into one “download”, just the same way you would use a .ZIP or .SIT file on your computer.

Clothing that has multiple components usually comes in a box, and sometimes clothing that has only one piece comes in a box, packaged with a landmark or notecard that gives instructions or information. If you don’t realise this, and you click on the item name and wear it, you could end up looking like this picture!

It’s easy to take the box off your head or other body part – simply right-click on the box, then select DETACH. It will automatically go back into your inventory.

Opening boxes is easy, provided you have permission to create or “res/rez” things on the land where you are standing. Most land in Second Life has restricted create rights, so you might have to go to a “sandbox” to open your box. A sandbox is a place in Second Life where anyone can create things, so you can do a lot more than just opening boxes there. But for now, that’s all you need to do.

Some shops allow you to rez and open your box/shopping bag right there in the store. You can tell by looking at the status bar at the top of your screen, almost in the middle (just to the left of the place name, which is in blue). If there is a cube with a red slash through it, you don’t have permission to create things. If the symbol isn’t there, you can go ahead and rez your box right there. Here’s what I mean:

If you can’t rez/open your box in the store, you need to find a sandbox. To do this, use the search (CTRL F) – click the PLACES tab, and type SANDBOX into the search box. You should end up with loads of results. A word of caution: you may see all sorts of things going on in a sandbox, as that’s where people go to make pretty much everything you see in Second Life. So don’t be alarmed if you teleport into a sandbox and find a giant penis in front of you! Some sandboxes also allow weapons, so you might find some crazy shooting happening when you get there. I always choose sandboxes that don’t allow this kind of thing, and you can, too. The description on the search results will tell you what to expect.

To open your box and get what’s inside:

1. Open your inventory (CTRL I) and find the item.
2. Click and drag the item onto the floor. It will make a sound kind of like a rattlesnake. After a second or two, it should appear.
3. Right-click on the box and select OPEN.
4. In the new window, select COPY TO INVENTORY. Sometimes the items cannot be copied, they will be moved. Click OK if a pop-up tells you this.That’s it – the items will show up in your inventory. But there is one final step: clean up after yourself! Please don’t forget and leave your box lying around like litter:
5. To clear away your box, right click on it and select TAKE. It will go back into your inventory. If you want to, you can always delete the box by dragging it to the trash in your inventory but always make sure you are deleting the box and not the contents! They might have the same name.