Nah its not just the US. I’ve run into similar in Ireland. I went into the supermarket to pick up pads and a tub of ice cream. Passed them to the young fella behind the counter who then leans over and whispers “do you need me to put them in a paper bag for ye?”
I lived in tents for the better part of a year. I’d set up anywhere with a bit of cover that wasn’t frequently walked through. Woods mostly.