Desolation point or Forlorn Muskeg forging?

[FunkyFuggerson]

So i'm in mystery lake, i've been playing a custom interloper run (rifle availability) to get better at interloper and eventually play it sans gun. Ive gotten all the necessities besides tools, so i'm wondering, Shall I forge in FM or DP? On one hand FM is much closer but much more dangerous as my clothing is completely garbage, Plus theres the heavy wolves. On the other hand DP is farther, but I can get more loot at risk of more wolf attacks and harsh weather making everything more complicated. I do have a rifle but 3 bullets so I can kill 3 wolves but then i'm pretty much a sitting duck. So do I risk traversing the harsh wasteland of FM or embark on a grueling pilgrimage through CH to DP. Both are wolf infested and don't have the best weather, especially wind which will freeze me and slow me down. Id like some feedback so I know what to do next time or heck, try the other route. 

EDIT: Re reading this I forgot to mention traveling back to my safe house in mystery lake. So the DP method will take much longer then FM route. 

[Naia]

Forlorn Muskeg have a very large amount of Cat Tail. And there are some deer carcasses scattered around too. You probably don't have to shoot anything, unless you want too.

I prefer forging at Forlorn Muskeg and using Mystery Lake as base too. Food is usually not an issue.
The part I find most difficult, is shelter and fuel. You are doing your forging for some 12  - 14 hours or however long you keep going, after that you probably need some sleep.
Then as you are done and prepare to leave, the weather turns bad.

You will almost always need a fire to keep warm enough in Forlorn Muskeg, and if you already used most of your fuel smithing, it can be a problem. You might be forced to leave and try to run back to Mystery Lake in a snow storm or heavy fog. I have lost quite a few runs that way.

Desolation Point have much better shelters. But like you said, it's a long trip to get there and a long one to get back. And on Interloper you are kinda working against time, to try and loot as many places early on as you can.

[peteloud]

I am surprised that you are using a rifle.  I find that bow and arrows better, of course that depends upon the level of play.  Bow and arrows are much lighter than a rifle and the arrows are usually re-usable.  An arrow seems just as deadly as a bullet. Although early in a game you might need to use a rifle until you can make a bow, arrows and arrowheads.

[Drifter Man]

2 hours ago, Naia said:

Forlorn Muskeg have a very large amount of Cat Tail. And there are some deer carcasses scattered around too. You probably don't have to shoot anything, unless you want too.

I prefer forging at Forlorn Muskeg and using Mystery Lake as base too. Food is usually not an issue.
The part I find most difficult, is shelter and fuel. You are doing your forging for some 12  - 14 hours or however long you keep going, after that you probably need some sleep.
Then as you are done and prepare to leave, the weather turns bad.

You will almost always need a fire to keep warm enough in Forlorn Muskeg, and if you already used most of your fuel smithing, it can be a problem. You might be forced to leave and try to run back to Mystery Lake in a snow storm or heavy fog. I have lost quite a few runs that way.

Desolation Point have much better shelters. But like you said, it's a long trip to get there and a long one to get back. And on Interloper you are kinda working against time, to try and loot as many places early on as you can.

Precisely. It is all too easy to run out of things to burn while forging, which in FM can mean a death sentence. But it has cattails and you don't have to run the wolf gauntlet in Crumbling Highway on the way in and out.

[Dan_]

1 hour ago, Drifter Man said:

Precisely. It is all too easy to run out of things to burn while forging, which in FM can mean a death sentence. But it has cattails and you don't have to run the wolf gauntlet in Crumbling Highway on the way in and out.

This is very accurate, not having to dodge those pesky wolves at Crumbling Highway makes FM trump DP massively in my opinion.

The issue with firewood at Old Spence can be solved with the route you take to get there, what I usually do is go for poachers' camp for coal and firewood, then circle back to the high blind ( there's always a piece of firewood or two there ), pass through peanut butter rock, which sometimes has firewood, swing by the ruined shed for coal, metal and some cedar and finish up looting the ruined house. This usually nets me 10 to 12 hours of firetime which outside can last for nearly a full day, plus any sticks I manage to collect along the way.

With a rifle or bow in hand you can climb up to the cave by Old Spence's backwoods, there's usually five pieces of coal and some loot there. It's a warm cave, near some fir limbs which you can use to prepare for a longer forging session, plus you can sleep in short chunks there and save firewood in a pinch. Two wolves patrol that region.