Requesting advice/tips for maxwell

So far I've got a few problems with maxwell which for the life of me I cannot seem to be able to fix.First is the shadow puppets.When the hounds attack,the workers are always instagibbed and I cannot protect them.That is a major issue for me.The second issue is his fragile hit points. I always move around with armor since I get twice the amount of damage normal characters get (that's half hp for maxwell) but I always run out of armor and not having a backpack with me is annoying. Plus when it's raining and when it's summer you have to wear this nice eyebrella but that leaves no room for helmet.

Thanks in advance for any tips.