I'm no pro and i ma learning but this isn't a game where you can just go wherever you want without consequences. You must keep you eye open at all times and be smart. It took me 30 min just find a meele weapon but it was worth it.
I spent 45 min running around looking for items but all I found was zombies. Does it really take that long to find an item for a beginner ? Love the game though but right now everything seems a little fuzzy.