Make or find yourself a cart to drag around (g or G to drag it). It it doesn’t have wheels it’ll be quite loud. Sound = attraction = death in most cases.

Don’t bother with cars for a long while, even one that actually runs. They take a lot to maintain and cause a lot of noise (see above). You’re better off starting with a bike for midrange transportation (or if using mods a foldable bike).

When you start building or find a nice base area, make a crafting nook and drop all your items nearby to it. When crafting you can pull ingredients from 1-2 tiles adjacent.