Even in fully upgraded padded armor I sneak around with my bow in the plains...especially at night. Use those huge boulders that litter the planes. Often (but not always) the Gobbies can't scale them, and they make great pedestals to scout from (or attack). Even if they can scale the boulder they need to seek out a spot where they can and it usually funnels them into a straight line. This buys you time and slows them down. Perfect for bow use.