So the first time I just went off exploring I was mauled by 4 death claws and a bunch of fiends with there energy weapons. I was level 6 at the time so now I am level 11 and just received the Boomers quest to go get their help. I have ED-E and Veronica with me. So when do you guys think it will be safe to stop the main quest and start exploring and not get pwned by stupid deathclaws and such.

The deathclaws only appear in one section of the map - around the quarry. Just stay away from there and you'll be fine. Well, then there's the Fiends, the cazadors...

You can go explore whenever you want to. But enemies have fixed spawn locations.
Example, by Quarry there is a lot of deathclaws, don't go there if you don't think you can handle it.
To the north of Camp Forlon Hope there is Cazadors, don't go there if you don't think you can handle them.
To the north of Goodsprings are a lot of giant radscorpions and more north are a lot of cazadors, don't go there if you don't think you can handle them.
So explore, go nuts, but when you realize that an area is too high leveled for you then turn around and come back another time when you can handle it.

I've encountered them in one other location as well west of Novac and east of Primm.

There are some areas of the map that are going to be extremely dangerous at low levels but that doesn't mean you can't veer of the main path - you just have to be careful when you do.

Not true. There is also a boatload of them in the trainyard (forgot the name) as you are headed south to the b29 in lake mead.

I've got two characters on the go right now, one which I am using to follow the main-quest solely (made it to Repconn at level 4 and completed it with a XP reward that was big enough at that low level to give me a double level-up, something I was never able to accomplish in FO3) and another character that is ignoring the mainquest completely... At level 2, I am able to leave Goodsprings and explore to the east with relatively low hassles... There are a load of ants just outside of Goodsprings that can get you quickly moving up the level ladder.

As soon as you leave the Doc's house, only time I have engaged in the MQ is purely accidental while exploring.

Fine :stare: But you forgot the Deathclaw Promontory (East of the Lucky Jim Mine)

:facepalm:

Do yourself a favor and tell your companions to wait or stay at the Lucky 38 until you run the Gauntlet to get into the base. Reason, while you can find cover where you need to and when you need to, your companions will not be protected during the scenario as they can not get cover.

Once you have reached the base, then you can Fast Travel back to where the companions are and then Fast Travel back to the base.

Thank you for the advice.

Yeah DO NOT attempt the quarry route unless you have a good sniper rifle or good energy weapon as well as 60+ in either skill, just go longer route. I attempted with hunting rifle used tons of ammo on two Deathclaws and thought this was waste and reloaded earlier save then got the sniper rifle and bang one was dead in one to two hits (not including Alphas or Mother) I was level 13 at this stage.

There are 4 places with death Claws (5 if you consider the road to NV from Quary Junction as seperate region) that I know of

The Road to NV from Sloan
Quary Junction
The Area across the River to the East of Nylson (Death Claw Promitary(sp))
The Area South East of Cottonwood Cove
The Cave Red (from Thorns) point you to for the Egg quest

[Edit]

If you want to go to NV from Sloan, just head east a little onto the mountain. Till you find Neil's Shack, then keep heading on the ledge and drop down once you pass the road area and near the Hunter's Farm (I think). Then just head north and you will arrive at NV, at around Camp McCarren.

Also a family of Deathclaws East of New Vegas and south of the BoS safehouse (I think that is the Gypsum Train yards)