Will Olmen hit the nail right on the head. If you've read/seen Lord of the Rings, think Strider/Aragorn (pre-Return of the King). Or Faramir and his Rangers of Ithilien.
Also, I suggest sticking to leather-related light armor in the game. I only wear things I can upgrade using leather because I feel that my character would have a good understanding of how to utilize hide. I don't restrict myself to any specific weapon material, just because to keep a blade sharp, you just need a hand-sized sharpening stone.
And I recommend the Alchemist's Shack as a character home. It's small, has an end table (safe storage), a bed, and an alchemy table. Plus eventually, the alchemy ingredients strewn about the hut respawn.