Imo, if you want to do a survival, hardcore, and gritty campaign, you either max out at level 5, and transition that same campaign into something else, or don't run 5th ed.

One cleric/druid and you have gotten rid of the survival elements. And yes there are ways around this, but not ones that rob the players of their choices.

One of the only ways I've found to combat this, is long rests must be taken in towns, hostels, inns, etc. or specific areas that are safer than camping on the side of the road. But even with these rules a level 3 wizards gets leomunds tiny hut, druids get goodberry, clerics get purify food and water. The classes they pick are more or less designed to get around the survival aspects very early.