useful vim settings

.vimrc

Plugins

Definitely take a look at pathogen, it's pretty straightforward to setup.  Once installed you can 
keep each plugin in its own dir (and use git submodules to keep 'em up to date/auto-install etc)

https://github.com/tpope/vim-pathogen

.vimrc

Few things you may want to look into, ':h options' to look at what 'set'tings do.  Most of the below I use a *lot* :)

# history items to keep
set history=NNNN

# for single lines that wrap multiple screen lines, move up/down screen lines, not buffer lines
nnoremap j gj
nnoremap k gk

# highlight searches by default, toggle search highlighting on/off easily with leader n
set hlsearch
nmap <silent> <leader>n :set invhls<CR>:set hls?<CR>

# nice status line (customize!)
set stl=%f\ %m\ %r\ Line:\ %l/%L[%p%%]\ Col:\ %c\ Buf:\ #%n\ [%b][0x%B]

# move between splits with C-h, etc, rather than C-W h, really quick when you get used to it
map <C-H> <C-W>h
map <C-J> <C-W>j
map <C-K> <C-W>k
map <C-L> <C-W>l

# leader v to reselect the text you just pasted, REALLY handy to paste, reselect, indent
nmap <Leader>v `[V`]

# centre current line in the buffer
nmap <space> zz