I've suggested a few times that the most "realistic" solution to the camping issues might be to add the ability to have a long rest mid-travel on site, in addition to keeping the base camp for crafting, social activities, etc.
This new camping ability would fall between short rests, would require setting a campfire and carrying sleeping gear, and have the risk of an "encounter" depending on where you camped. Near the goblin camp might see goblins, in the UD it might be much more dangerous.
You could have the option of setting a "guard"- a character who foregoes the full rest benefits and gets only the short rest. With a guard, there would be no "surprise" attacks.
Then, the constant visiting of the base camp could be scaled back some and could be allowed less often. It would do away with all the unrealistic popping around the map from camp to Underdark, that sort of thing.
I do like the growing base camp with it's options for visitors and camp followers a lot- it's the traveling at will which I find quite un-immersive.
