Not exploring swamps in the winter is very good advice indeed.

I actually didn't even have Chester yet because, again, a collection of problems in the summer kept me from exploring the map (most especially a tricky map that dead-ended me in every direction I had to go with only one wormhole I could find, which teleported me to the most useless part of the map, and then problems with a fleshy plant [haha, had no idea what was going on] and beefalo and such). All of this is why I was antsy to explore the one fucking path that was left to be explored to take me somewhere useful. I thought I came prepared (with all the healing equipment), but yeah, two quick wallops and I was done.

Long story short, I'm still yet to survive the first winter, haha.