Packrat works wonders. It's almost essential to me if I specialize in weapon skills that use heavy ammunition (Energy and ESPECIALLY Explosives).
I'm also playing with a mod that renames all safe containers as "Unused XXX", just helps to clarify things.
Oh, and companions. Too bad they...
Guns and Unarmed/Melee are definately the stronger weapon specializations available from my experience, but Energy Weapons are much easier to make viable than specializing purely in Explosives. Trying to hunt deathclaws even with mines, c-4, grenade launchers and rocket launchers at my disposal...
I also went with a C-4 bomb plot to take caesar out, having 50 sneak skill boosts most handheld explosives to holdout status, allowing you to sneak them into the camp. I wasn't nearly able to take the whole tent out with even 7 charges though, but my explosives skill was mediocre and I was also...