Swamps arent good for living in, but that doesn't mean you can't set up a safe place for smelting and crafting your iron, up in the trees. If you can't handle a wraith, you aren't ready to be in the swamp yet.

I generally make safe outposts way up in the trees and add a coal kiln, smelter and forge for working the iron into tools and weapons etc.... Not that hard to do.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2661983674