Best roof rack systems for a Subaru Outback Wilderness?

Check out the LFD Off Road Crossbars for the Wilderness. They are incredibly sturdy, affordable, and bolt directly to the rails without the usual wind noise issues. Totally worth it!

Congrats on the new ride. Since you are worried about the weight for that rooftop tent, I would suggest looking at the Yakima HD Bar 55 inch Black setup. I have used these for years and they handle heavy static loads way better than the thinner aero bars. Just be careful with the installation because the integrated rails on the Wilderness can be tricky if you overtighten the towers. You definitely dont want to crack the plastic housing. If you are worried about wind noise, make sure to install the rubber filler strips properly in the tracks, otherwise that whistling will drive you crazy on the highway. Honestly, just take your time measuring the crossbar spread to match your tent specs perfectly. It keeps the center of gravity stable when you are hitting those mountain switchbacks.

Adding my two cents here, the factory bars on the OBW are actually decent but they arent really designed for the dynamic weight of a rooftop tent. If you want to keep costs down without going full custom, look into the Rhino-Rack Vortex Aero 54 inch crossbars. They are way cheaper than the premium options but still super solid for highway speeds. I used these for a season and the wind noise is totally manageable if you get a basic wind fairing. Honestly, for the paint, just grab some cheap clear vinyl wrap or protective tape to put under the mounting points. It saves you so much headache later when you decide to take the rack off. Just make sure you check your bolt torque every few stops once you head up into the Cascades.