Spend your first clothing scrap here. The blueprint costs twice what the jacket's does and still pays back sooner, because pants are what you sew again after nearly every death, and a Level 1 workbench is all they need. The hoodie has to wait for Level 2; your legs don't.
Plan the kits as a set. Pants take one sewing kit, and once Level 2 stands, the road sign kilt goes on over them for two more. Keep a spare pair crafted in the box beside your bed, so a respawn doesn't start at the bench while the next kit is still a road barrel away.
Cloth is never the hold-up. A few hemp plants by the base cover several pairs.
