So I finally pulled the trigger on a 2024 Outback Wilderness in Geyser Blue and I am honestly obsessed. Im based out in Denver so I definitely plan on hitting some of the more moderate trails around the Rockies this summer once the snow fully clears out. My budget is around 2k for now just to get the essentials because I dont want to go crazy right away and end up with a mall crawler that never actually leaves the pavement.

Ive been doing a ton of reading on different forums and honestly Im a bit stuck on what to actually prioritize. Like, I read that the factory skid plates are okay for light stuff but then other people are saying they are basically just glorified soda cans and I should immediately swap them for Primitive Racing or LP Aventure ones. My logic was that since it is a Wilderness it should be ready to go out of the box right? But then I see these photos of people with punctured oil pans and I start getting anxious lol. Also tires... the Yokohamas that come on it seem decent enough but I keep seeing people swear by the BFGoodrich KO2s or the Falken Wildpeaks. I dont know if it is worth spending a thousand bucks on new tires when the ones on it have like 500 miles on them.

Then there is the whole ditch light thing. They look cool and I might do some dispersed camping where it gets pitch black but I am worried about the wind noise and the wiring being a nightmare. I found a kit from Diode Dynamics that looks pretty plug and play but some guys on Reddit were saying it whistles like crazy at highway speeds. I do a lot of driving on I-70 to get to the mountains so that would drive me nuts.

What are you guys actually using on yours that made a real difference? I mainly just want to be able to get to some remote trailheads without worrying about being stranded. Should I get a full set of skids first or maybe a recovery kit and a decent air compressor? I feel like I am overthinking every little thing...