Upgrade Crafting Related Skills
First thing’s first, your priority early on in the game should be upgrading anything that increases your EXP gain and anything that opens up more crafting options. If you’re playing on normal difficulty, nothing early on will be too difficult. Instead, invest in the future and open up options in the crafting and equipment menu.
Certain equipment options won’t even open up until you have acquired certain skills. Crafting Mastery allows you to create large capacity ammo pouches for your weapons. Survivalist will increase the amount of man-made crafting resources that you gather. Also, you can upgrade skills that get the most out of everything you’re collecting and upgrading. For example, Grenadier allows you to craft explosive grenades for the rifle grenade launcher. The items and weapons that you craft are game changing and shouldn’t be ignored. Invest in these skills early in Rise of the Tomb Raider.