Secret is to try and lev up and find a safer place to spawn, once you lev up (which goes fast) you start making weapons, depending on which map your on but beaches in certain areas are safer.
Im at the same point as you. After playing it safe and crouch/sneaking around to survive I was able to collect the materials necessary to build a house. From there it became a lot easier to continue survival after death because I could stash my loot. Also I found a light-beam thingey that had some loot that really helped my survival.