Vanlife might dominate Instagram, but I鈥檇 wager that the vehicle you see most often at trailheads and campgrounds doesn鈥檛 have sliding doors, a raised roof, or even a built-out flatbed: it鈥檚 the Subaru Outback.听(On any given morning, I find as many as four of them parked side by side in the听国产吃瓜黑料听lot.)听The Japanese company鈥檚 classic all-wheel-drive station wagon rolls reliably听over every kind of surface, from snow and mud to rocky, rutted two-track. It also has a laundry list of adventure-friendly听features, not the least of which is听a hatchback trunk with enough space to fit two bikes if you fold down the back seats鈥攁 total cargo area of 73 cubic feet. With听39 inches of head room, comparable to a two-person tent, that rear is also spacious enough to sleep comfortably.听
Of course, an Outback is considerably smaller than a truck or Sprinter van, which means packing for camping听takes extra forethought. Over thousands of miles, I鈥檝e developed my own list of tricks for making my Subie a comfortable base camp. So have several other Outback owners in the 国产吃瓜黑料 office. Here鈥檚 our best advice for getting your听adventure wagon road trip听ready.
Turn Your Roof Bars into Drying Racks
Hanging a standard set of over-door hooks 听on the rails of your roof-rack setup makes for a convenient place to dry out听wet stuff,听such as towels and bathing suits, after a hot-springs dip or a day on the river. It鈥檚 even great for airing out sweaty layers that you don鈥檛 want to shove back into your tent for the night.听You can place a towel under the hooks if you鈥檙e worried about the metal scuffing your paint job.听鈥擜lison Van Houten, editorial fellow
Take Advantage of the Hooks Above Your Passenger Windows
There are two little hooks in the back听of my Subaru, near each window, which听are perfect makeshift听hangers if I鈥檓 crashing in the trunk for the night. They keep small听crucial items, like keys and headlamps, handy听so I鈥檓 not scrabbling in the dark when I have to pee at 3 A.M.听鈥擜痴贬
Use the Hatchback Pockets as Nightstands
You know those random little cutouts on either side of your trunk, near the hatchback door? I never had use for them until the first time I slept in my car, when I discovered that they鈥檙e great for stashing things you want to have access to during the night, like a water bottle, book, or hat. 鈥擜riella Gintzler, assistant editor
Get a Mattress
At five foot seven,听I can sleep fully stretched out in my Outback with the back seats down. I have a California king-size, four-inch memory-foam mattress topper, which perfectly fills the back when folded in half听and provides a cushy eight inches of padding. (Though听I鈥檓 planning to change this out for an air mattress soon: memory foam is hot in the summer and freezes in the winter, which are particular disadvantages in Santa Fe, given听the temperature swings of the high desert.)听鈥擭icole Barker, marketing manager
Store Gear in听Rectangular Bags and Boxes
I鈥檓 a pretty messy packer, but using rectangular duffels, coolers, bins, and packing cubes听really helps with space (and sanity). Being able to stack and/or slide things into my car at neat right ankles makes the game of gear Tetris easier, a particular benefit on long trips that have me constantly in and out of my trunk.听鈥擜bigail听Barronian, assistant editor
Line Your Trunk with a Cargo Tray听
Essentially an all-weather mat for your trunk, this may seem like an extravagance, but it鈥檚听worth the extra cost if you plan to sleep in your trunk using听a sleeping pad, not听a mattress. They鈥檙e easy to shake out or brush off, which you鈥檒l be grateful for when the back of your car is dusted with a week鈥檚 worth of dried mud, grass, and sand. They also shed water. On days when I鈥檓 tossing muddy or rain-soaked gear in and out of my car, I use a rag to wipe down the mats so I have a dry place to roll out my sleeping kit. The only trade-off: I need to sleep with a double layer of foam underneath me so that the听lip of the tray doesn鈥檛 dig into my back.听鈥擜骋