Thanks once again for the mod recommendation, but as I said I am finding enemies lethal already, and have no compelling desire to increase that.
It was between levels 30 and 35 that the game shifts in to a more deadly arena, with the random encounters and patrolling NPCs boosted to more robust composition. More behemoths, death claws, rust devils and that sort of thing. Survival mode is supposed to have a 30 day re-population cycle, but since around that time (level 35 or so) it seems to be much faster than that, with some places restocked the next day. Plenty of action and XP on the map.
You and I have very different approaches I can see. I'm more in to the role playing aspect, living the life of the loner stealth sniper. I travel alone, or with the dog, bed down in out of the way spots, such as the roof of the Red Rocket near the BoS HQ in Cambridge or at Taffington Boathouse, which has attracted no settlers and I aim to keep it that way
I've aligned with factions of course for the quests, items, vertibirds and XP, but have no desire to actually BE a part of their organizations, just using them for the trinkets and trouble.
I spend the bulk of my time patrolling, just out looking for trouble, exploring, getting in to fire fights. I'm nearly level 50 and I bet I have yet to see half of the game.