Still fairly new, but my 2 cents.

Would never consider a starting camp except in the meadows and near the water.

I started my camp by resurrecting a couple of abandoned farm buildings. Works out really well. Since then, I've been spreading out repairing selected buildings and placing workbenches in them so I'm never far from one. In the forest, I snazz up a ruined tower the same way.

Still hunting for a site for serious build after I get through the storyline.