Yo, congrats on the Geyser Blue! Honestly the best color choice. I've been overlanding my OBW for a while now and totally get the struggle of wanting to be capable without turning ur daily driver into a gas-guzzling tank. Since youre hitting the Ozarks soon, here is how I would handle it on a budget:

* **Skids:** The factory ones are basically thin sheets of tin... okay for gravel, but they'll fold on jagged rocks. Instead of the most expensive kits, check out the Rival 4x4 Aluminum Underbody Armor Kit. It is way lighter than steel (saves your MPG) and usually costs about $600-$700 for full protection. It's a solid middle ground.
* **Recovery:** If you're solo, you NEED boards. Ngl, MAXTRAX MKII Recovery Boards are awesome but pricey. I've been using the X-BULL Gen3 Recovery Tracks which are like $80 and they've saved me twice already. Just strap them to your roof rails with heavy-duty zip ties to keep the weight low and costs down.
* **Spare Tire:** Definitely get a full-size. But dont buy a $1,000 rear swing-out carrier yet! A matching Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 225/65R17 tire on a spare rim actually fits in the factory trunk well if you air it down a bit. This keeps the weight centered and wont mess with your backup sensors.

Also, grab a Boulder Tools Heavy Duty Tire Deflator Kit for like $25. Dropping your pressure to 20psi makes the ride SO much better on rough trails. Honestly, the Wilderness is super capable out of the box, so just do the skids first and see how it feels. gl!

Seconding the recommendation above!! Since you're worried about damage, remember that tire pressure is everything; high pressure on rocks basically invites a blowout.

* Get a VIAIR 88P Portable Air Compressor so you can safely air down for traction and reinflate before the highway.
* Pack an Element E50 Portable Fire Extinguisher since dry tall grass and hot exhaust are a risky combo tho.

Safe travels!

I've been thinking about ur question and seriously, congrats on the Geyser Blue!! It's such a vibe. Respectfully, I'd actually suggest a different approach when it comes to the spare tire and mounting those recovery boards. Most people jump straight to a roof rack, but that basically kills your MPG and makes the car feel way too top-heavy on technical trails.

Since you're worried about the weight and those rear gate sensors, I'd really consider looking into a hitch-mounted solution like the Rigid Armor Subaru Outback Hitch Carrier. It keeps the center of gravity low and honestly makes accessing the spare way easier. I think you might have to disable the reverse auto-braking, but it's a fair trade-off for not having 75lbs on your roof!

For the underbody, I gotta disagree that the factory plates are enough for Colorado rocks. They're kinda thin... I'd suggest the Primitive Racing Full Armor Kit for 2024 Subaru Outback Wilderness instead. It's made of 3/16-inch aluminum, so it's light enough to save your gas mileage but tough enough to take a real hit. Also, definitely grab a Factor 55 HitchLink 2.0 for your rear receiver. It's a much safer recovery point than just using a tow ball. Just be careful with those soft shackles on any sharp factory edges tho. I'm still learning too, but keeping things low and light seems to be the way to go for the Wilderness. Good luck in the Ozarks!! 👍

Coming back to this, I totally agree with ovezunqoml about the air compressor. Being able to adjust on the fly is a huge game changer for reliability. Honestly I'm a bit more on the cautious side when I'm out solo because the last thing I want is a mechanical failure way off the grid. It's been great seeing how the Wilderness handles the rough stuff as long as you dont treat it like a rock crawler... keeping it simple has really worked out well for me.

• a portable jump starter pack
• a real first aid kit
• offline maps on a dedicated tablet Found that just being prepared for the small stuff makes the whole trip way less stressful. No complaints so far with that approach.

Late to the party but this whole thread is 💯. Glad I found it.