Lost lake is your best bet for early progression, since they've got some seriously good gear like the chicago chopper and those high-end bike upgrades that make life way easier. The cool thing about focusing on iron mike's place first is that you'll naturally build up trust as you play through the main story, and that unlocks the really good stuff. Getting survivors over to lost lake is always a smart move, since they'll give you both credits and trust which speeds things up quite a bit. You don't really need to worry about maxing out every single camp either, just keep your attention on lost lake and you'll be set with the equipment you need.

Look, copeland's camp might seem tempting at first, but trust me on this one - lost lake's upgrades are just on another level, especially when you're thinking long-term. The weapons and bike mods you'll get there are gonna make both fighting and getting around so much smoother, and that's really what you want to focus on early game.