Okay so I'm seeing a lot of posts about what to do to get this or that done. Everyone will have to find what works for them since some people prefer some type of aspect of the game over others.

Here are some of the things I do to clear solo (and it's also the same stuff my groups do in multiplayer)

Always take the pickaxe / axe / lucky loot rune... It's way too easy to just craft starting gear on your first visit to your town

Day one - pick a direction looking for a ramps while grabbing some trees / rocks / iron along the way. The goal is to find 3 ramps that have barricades. Also clear out any level 1 camps (these are very easy even with no gear and fists)

Night one - Ignore defending the town completely, they helthings can't kill the tree night one. Try to be near a land of pools by night one so you can pick up the shock mushrooms (if you care about lightning weapons) and silver, but don't pick up the silver until day time... The night is very short so take the time grabbing the night exclusive items

Day two - return to camp with your 3-4 barricades destroyed, some wood, iron, rocks, silver, loot from level 1 camps. Immediately build the quarry (I always do this one first as the bridge needs 2 materials that the quarry produces and trees are way more abundant than rocks). Upgrade all of your townsfolk, build a level 2 sword and some basic armor. Pick up your first quest based off what areas you found (or haven't found... The quest board tells you where the quest npc is so you can use it to tell you where a biome is)

Now go out and scout out the map while collecting loot in the direction of your quest giver. Make sure you still pick up trees / rocks / iron

Night two - Ignore the town again, the townsfolk can handle it themselves. If you found the low level desert and you prefer fire weapons then spend this night farming the fire zone while the desert is cool. If not spend the night farming more night exclusive items.

Day 3 - Finish the lumberyard and farm. Make final decisions on the weapons you want to make. Typically I wait to craft a "good" weapon until after I kill the first Jotun and my weapon choice depends on that first Jotun. Until then I just run the blue quality sword

After this day it's just a normal game of hunt down events, find the hideout, find the bridge, farm camps, complete quest, farm gear

Typically by day 7 my bridge is finished and I spend that day farming up either ambers or unfrozen talismans for purple quality gear depending on what zone makes more sense for the map I have.

Also a few tips: helthings items are a trap and not worth your time. Dark weapons are also a trap and not worth crafting. Build a bridge over the passage if you don't want to go through it. Save souls potions if you have trouble surviving and need them later for repairs, just store then in your warchest)