I finally did it!! I just picked up a 2024 Outback Wilderness in that Geyser Blue color and I am literally obsessed with it. I have been wanting one forever and finally traded in my old boring sedan. Now I actually want to use it for what it was built for but honestly I have zero idea what I am doing. I live in Denver so I have the mountains right there and I am planning a trip up near Leadville in about three weeks for a camping weekend and I am kind of terrified of getting stuck or breaking something on a rock. I see all these people on Instagram with like thousands of dollars of gear on their roofs and I dont know what is actually necessary and what is just for show?

Like do I need those orange plastic ladder looking boards? I dont even know what they are called lol. Recovery boards maybe? My budget is probably around $1500 or maybe $2000 for now since I just put a huge down payment on the car and I still need to buy a better tent. I saw something about skid plates but I thought the Wilderness already came with them? The guy at the dealership said it was trail ready but then I read online that the factory ones are kind of thin and I might need real ones for the transmission or something. Is that true?

I also heard people talk about airing down tires but do I need a special machine for that or can I just use a pen to poke the valve? I really dont want to be that person who gets stuck on a basic trail and has to call for help because I didnt have the right tools. I want to look like I know what I am doing even though I definitely dont.

Sorry if these are super basic questions I am just really new to the whole off-roading thing and everything on YouTube makes it look so complicated with winches and crazy lift kits and all that. I just want to be safe and have fun without ruining my brand new car. What are the absolute must-have accessories or tools I should buy before I head out into the dirt for the first time?