Aye not only is the Hoe your best strategic/ahead of time planning terrain friend, but OctoberSky has a point that I take for granted: how are your Run and Jump skill? I favor spear and skirmish tactics, so I tend to just eat 3 Stam foods and avoid being hit and leave the swamp as soon as my rested bonus has about a minute left. I always build a fall-back camp nearby before I go into a new area so I can keep that bonus and clear inventory regularly. The swamp is a wonderful place for items and recipe farming once you stop dying there; nothing the leeches can do when I decide it's time for some Spear [center mouse button] Fishing :)