Yeah, I always do the fishing scenario and the survival course, which nets me(lol) a fishing rod and 2 fishing nets.
Living near the river profits. Fish, meat, a spot for a house, and a variety of biomes.
Wha, meat? How?
Animals migrate and wander the UrW. Some of them, like elk, can swim, but most can not, and if you set up your camp at the right place, you'll become a trap-fence religion follower.
Cannibalism? Sure. It's a good way, actually - hire someone with some meat you sliced off a dead adventurer, kill the hired guy, slice him, hire someone, and so on... just hope that they won't counter you, I've had problems with that.
Always settle near the Driik. They've got shops, rivers, the sea, forests, animals, and occasional Santa camps.
Ninja some turnips and beans from villages that are far - they got mad on me when I grabbed 203 turnips, and I lost my best character so far to a crowd of mad Driik. Don't worry, tho. As long as you don't touch the turnips, they're pretty cool.
Get a punt. A woodsman's axe. A bow.
If you're starting in summer, make yourself some fur mittens - when the fall comes, your hands are going to be the first thing that's gonna get cold.
Lone Njerpezit make great archer targets, but be very careful when facing them - I had my face owned by their shit crescent swords more than once. Try to get as close as possible while they're sleeping on the ground, and inflict as much damage as you can with arrows.
If something's passed out from your arrows, don't run up to it straight away - it could wake up and own your face in an instant. Like bears. Or Njerpez.
Building a cottage? Stock up on axes. They don't have to be high quality, walls don't wear down. Where to build the thing? On a possibly flat surface, near the river - you can tan your furs and fish there, or hop on the punt and travel straight away. Where do you get wood from? I like to cut trees that are on the other side of the river, push them on my punt, and then swim back to my settlement, where I make them into logs.
Herblore is a good skill to have. Don't add any skillpoints to it, just check every plant you see, and remember the effects of those your tribe knows. They are really cool and useful.
I found the spear to be the most useful melee weapon. Pick as you please, but you can throw, slash, pierce and bash with certain spears, which makes them a wonderweapon.