Inventory works best when tools and survival supplies stay predictable and collected materials are treated as temporary cargo.
Keep an expedition loadout
Tools, food, water and emergency supplies should occupy predictable space.
Use broad storage categories
Simple material groups are easier to maintain than an overly detailed system.
Leave empty slots before leaving
Inventory capacity is part of expedition preparation.
Reset after every trip
Unload before starting another objective so old cargo does not reduce the next run.