camping bushcraft style is something we all want to do and a campsite does seem to be an option and it can be.
a short true story of an old tent of mine:
a friend and i camped in a ex army bivy tent, at a huge camp site once, every tent on the campsite was of a standard type family type or hike sort.
during our stay
many people seemed to pity us and asked us:
"were we ok?"
"is your tent too hot, cold or small?"
"are you in the army?" or "do you want to be in the army?"
one snotty kid told us his nylon tent was "stronger than our canvas one!"
at first we shrugged off the comments (10-15 times a day) but after a couple of days it really annoyed us!
smaller kids enjoyed looking inside our tent, and playing around it, again very annoying!
most stupid of all after
cooking our lunch of a tinned meal, we sat down next to our still
hot cooker, and quietly ate, a lady aproached us and asked us if the beans were cold!(thus assuming we were roughing it!)right infront of the cooker!!! :?:
note....
all that was different was the tent!
no campfire, bashas, skinned rabbits, or axes!
just a tent that would have been common on a scout camp ten years ago!
but... the oposite can also be the case, i campped with my wife in the same tent a guy asked me about the tent told me he was in the army and invited us to his tent for drinks and doughnuts with his girlfriend.
so to answer your question...
i have tried many times to evaluate how i could "get away" with bushcraft style camping on a standard site, but each time, you have to be aware of these things....
1. tarps and bashas,
offer little privicy, and you could find others watching you eat, read, cook, wash, sleep, which could be uncomfortable.
2. bushcraft style camping would mean
very low security, for example if you want to go to the local or the shops, you have to either take everything with you or trust no one will pinch stuff, then theres dogs and small kids that don't understand it isn't a play area. my son aged 3 has little social awareness so far and has on occasion run off into another tent and bought back (stolen)something he thought was interesting including food :yikes: :roll: we then have to return the item blushing!
3.
if using ex army ponchos or bashas or bivibags, they tend to be camouflaged you could find other campers walking in to/on your shelter or worse a car could accidentally reverse over the shelter
especially bivibags! i have a feeling this may have already happend!
as a precaution stick a chemical light or reflector on a stick next to you which of course kids will love! :shock:
4. other campers might just
not talk to you or ask silly questions.
i think the best option for bushcraft camping on standard campsites is to go as a group then at least you share the possible problems, and can take turns to shop etc.
hope this helps!