Subaru Outback Car Camping Setup: Cargo Floor Sleep, Kitchen and Cooler
The Outback is a wagon at heart, and its long, flat cargo floor with the rear seats folded makes a natural sleeping platform. Add all-wheel drive for the forest road in, and pulling over to sleep in the car starts to beat paying for a motel.
People who buy Outbacks tend to use them: ski weekends, shoulder-season basecamp trips, long drives with a dispersed site at the end. The car is capable. The setup decides whether you actually sleep well in it. Here is what works, with fit taken from our product pages and the makers. Where a maker does not publish something, we say "not published" instead of guessing.
Check your Outback first
Luno's fit tool puts the 1998 to 2026 Outback in its Size 2 (80 x 53 inches inflated) with the Forester and Ascent. This guide is written around the BT Outback (2020 to 2025). On a 2019 or older Outback, a 2026 or newer Outback, or a car with a cargo drawer or raised floor, confirm with us before ordering.
Quick pick: Outback car camping gear by job
| If you want | Our pick | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| A bed that fits the cargo floor | Luno Car Camping Mattress for Subaru Outback (AIR Pro or AIR+FOAM Pro) | Luno Size 2, 1998 to 2026 Outback |
| Airflow without bugs | Luno Vehicle Window Screens (Medium for the Outback) | Rear doors with framed windows |
| Moving air on still nights | Luno Car Camping Fan | Any window, suction cup |
| Storage within reach | Luno Seatback Organizer and the Luno Gear and Shoe Storage Bag | Universal fit on a front seatback; the bag sticks to metal body panels |
| Privacy behind the front seats | Luno Car Privacy Curtain | Needs grab handles above the rear doors, confirm with us before ordering |
| A grill for camp | HitchFire F20 Portable Tabletop Propane Grill | Not vehicle specific, no hitch needed |
| Pots for the camp stove | Sea to Summit XLite Collapsible 2L Pot, Kettle and Pan Set | Not vehicle specific |
| Cold food | Dometic Unrestricted Duffel 25L (ice) or Dometic CFX5 35 (12V power) | Not vehicle specific |
| Power for the fan and phones | Dometic PLB15 Portable Battery | Not vehicle specific |
| Light at camp | Luno Camping String Lights | Hang from the open liftgate |
| Airing back up after the dirt road | ARB Onboard Air Compressor | Mounts and wires in the car, confirm with us before ordering |
| A first aid kit | My Medic Hiker Medic | Not vehicle specific |
Sleep: the Outback's floor rewards the right mattress
The Outback's cargo area with the rear seats folded is long enough for two adults with room to spare, which sounds like it makes the mattress choice easy. It does not. That extra length gives a generic inflatable more room to slide around, and the wheel wells and seatback ledge still break up the floor in ways a non-specific mattress will not handle.
The Luno Car Camping Mattress for Subaru Outback is Luno's Full-Size SUV cut, 80 by 53 inches and 4 inches thick, and covers the wagon floor edge to edge. Fold the rear seatbacks, lay it along the floor, and clip the two Head Support Bridge attachments to the front headrests to hold up the head end where the seatbacks meet the front seats. Both versions sleep two, have dual chambers so each side sets its own firmness, and carry a 3-year Luno warranty.
Subaru lists the maximum load length at the floor with the rear seatbacks down as 75.9 inches on the 2026 Outback and 75.0 inches on 2020 to 2025 models. The 2019 Outback spec sheet lists 77.7 inches with the seatbacks folded.
One reason we carry Luno: Luno has been named a Subaru Trusted Brand Supplier, and its car camping kits are now available at Subaru dealerships across the U.S.
- AIR Pro. The durable choice for people who leave every Friday. The 300D Oxford top is built for gear dragged across it, dogs and wet equipment, and it holds 500 lb per side. The included 12V pump fills it in about 2 minutes, it is rated R-value 1.5 for three seasons, and it unzips down the middle so you can run one half on solo trips. Packed, it is 8 by 26 inches and 13 lb.
- AIR+FOAM Pro. The pick for Outback owners who camp in the cold: ski approach nights, early alpine starts, fall hunting camp. Polyurethane foam inside the air chambers gives pressure relief and real floor insulation, rated R-value 11 for four seasons. It self-inflates to about 60% in 3 to 5 minutes and the included AirRoll Bag tops it off. It holds 300 lb per side and packs to 29 by 11 by 18 inches.
Add a Luno Fitted Mattress Sheet in the Full-Size SUV cut if you want the bed to feel like a bed.
-
Luno Mattress for Subaru Outback
For the cargo floor. Pick AIR Pro or AIR+FOAM Pro.
- Luno Size 2, 80 x 53 x 4 inch
- Sleeps two, 500 lb (AIR Pro) or 300 lb (AIR+FOAM Pro) per side
- R-value 1.5 (AIR Pro) or 11 (AIR+FOAM Pro)
Airflow: cross-ventilation in a longer interior
The Outback's longer interior means more air to move, so a single cracked window does less than it would in a smaller car. You want cross-ventilation: windows on opposite sides cracked, not just the liftgate.
Luno Vehicle Window Screens slide over the rear doors and keep insects out while air moves through, and the light darkening mesh adds privacy at a busy trailhead. They come in Medium and Large rather than a cut for one car, and they need rear doors with framed windows. Luno's size list puts the Outback in Medium. Run screens on both rear doors and you can sleep comfortably on warm nights without waking up to a stuffy cabin.
The Luno Car Camping Fan on low handles nights when the windows are not enough. It sticks to a window with a locking suction cup, has three speeds and runs from a USB port or power bank. In the Outback, mount it toward the middle of the sleeping area rather than at one end.
-
For airflow and privacy with the windows open.
- Medium for the Outback
- Medium: 17.5 to 20 inch tall, 27 to 38 inch wide window
- Pair of screens plus storage pouch
-
For moving air on still nights.
- 5 inch fan, 3 speeds
- Locking suction cup, articulating ball mount
- Runs from a USB port or power bank
Storage: plan where the cooler and kitchen ride
The Size 2 mattress fills the cargo floor, so plan where everything else rides at night. On solo trips, the AIR Pro unzips down the middle, so you can run one half and keep a soft cooler or gear bag on the other side. With two people sleeping, the cooler and kitchen gear move up to the front seats.
The Luno Seatback Organizer hangs on the back of a front seat and keeps headlamps, phones and keys at arm's length from the bed. Luno gives it a microfiber-lined phone pocket, a headlamp pocket with a clear window, a removable pouch, two G-hooks for keys and a slot for a tablet or book. It measures 13.25 by 9.5 by 1 inches and Luno lists a universal fit.
Muddy boots stay out of the car entirely with the Luno Gear and Shoe Storage Bag. It hangs on the outside of the car on four microfiber-coated magnets, so it needs a metal body panel, and the mesh bottom lets wet shoes drain. Luno lists it at 13 by 13 by 5 inches, room for one pair of hiking boots or two pairs of sneakers.
At a busy trailhead, the Luno Car Privacy Curtain closes off the front seats and windshield with a magnetic seal down the middle. Luno says it suits most SUVs and crossovers and hangs from the grab handles above the rear doors. It does not name the Outback, so confirm with us before ordering.
On multi-night trips, the front passenger footwell becomes extra storage for anything you want to reach without opening the liftgate. The roof stays free for a rack or cargo box if you run one.
-
For the small stuff you want within reach.
- Phone, headlamp and tablet pockets
- Removable pouch and 2 G-hooks
- 13.25 x 9.5 x 1 inch, universal fit
-
Luno Gear and Shoe Storage Bag
For muddy boots and wet gear, outside the car.
- 13 x 13 x 5 inch, magnetic
- Mesh bottom drains wet shoes
- Needs a metal body panel
-
For privacy and darkness behind the front seats.
- Magnetic seal down the middle
- Hangs from rear grab handles
- Outback fit not named, confirm with us before ordering
Kitchen and power: worth the investment in an Outback
On longer trips, the kitchen and power setup is worth thinking through rather than improvising.
A tabletop propane grill turns a camp table into a kitchen. The HitchFire F20 Portable Tabletop Propane Grill puts out 20,000 BTU, has a removable drip tray, and HitchFire says it needs no hitch receiver, swing arm or bulky mounting hardware, so it sets up on a picnic table or bench. For coffee, pasta and eggs on your camp stove, the Sea to Summit XLite Collapsible 2L Pot, Kettle and Pan Set gives you a 2 liter pot, a 1.2 liter kettle and an 8 inch ceramic-coated pan. Sea to Summit says the set nests to 8 by 8 by 2 inches and 825 g, which leaves room in the kitchen bin. Use it on a stove, not over an open fire. Cook outside, never in the car. Our camp kitchen checklist covers what else goes in the kit.
Once the sun goes down, the Luno Camping String Lights give the whole camp a soft glow. Luno lists 20 feet of warm white light that runs up to 8 hours on the included USB-C battery pack, with three brightness levels. Hang them from the open liftgate and you can find everything in the back without a headlamp.
-
For real meals at the picnic table.
- 20,000 BTU
- No hitch receiver or swing arm needed
- Removable drip tray
-
Sea to Summit XLite Pot, Kettle and Pan Set
For coffee and one pot meals on a stove.
- 2 L pot, 1.2 L kettle, 8 inch pan
- Nests to 8 x 8 x 2 inch, 825 g
-
For soft light around camp.
- 20 feet, warm white
- Up to 8 hours on the USB-C battery pack
For cold food, the Dometic Unrestricted Duffel 25L is a soft cooler that looks like a gym duffel. Dometic rates it at 25 liters, or 51 cans, with a welded leakproof liner and PrimaLoft Gold insulation, and it measures about 22.6 by 13.4 by 9.5 inches, so it lies flat on the open half of the mattress on a solo night. For multi-night trips without ice, the Dometic CFX5 35 (cooler only) holds up to 50 cans, uses vacuum insulated panels, goes down to -7 F and runs on 12/24 volt DC or household AC. You can check and set the temperature from the Dometic app. It rides in the front seats when two of you sleep in back. More options are in our portable fridge freezers collection.
For power, the Dometic PLB15 Portable Battery is a 15 Ah lithium iron phosphate battery that Dometic rates at up to 192 Wh at 12 V, with 12 V, USB-C and USB-A outputs and an IP44 rating. It covers phone charging and the fan, and Dometic lists electric coolers among the 12 V devices it can run. Dometic does not publish a run time with a specific cooler, so treat it as a top-up rather than a weekend of fridge power.
-
Dometic Unrestricted Duffel 25L
For ice, in a bag that lies flat.
- 25 L, up to 51 cans
- Welded leakproof liner, PrimaLoft Gold
- About 22.6 x 13.4 x 9.5 inch
-
For a fridge and freezer on power.
- Up to 50 cans, down to -7 F
- Vacuum insulated panels, app control
- 12/24 V DC or 100 to 240 V AC
-
Dometic PLB15 Portable Battery
For the fan, phones and small 12 V gear.
- 15 Ah LiFePO4, up to 192 Wh at 12 V
- 12 V, USB-C and USB-A outputs, IP44
The 5-minute setup walkthrough
- Fold both rear seats forward. Pull the release and the seatback drops, no tools needed.
- Lay the Luno mattress along the cargo floor. It fills the floor without repositioning.
- Inflate it. AIR Pro fills with its included 12V pump in about 2 minutes. AIR+FOAM Pro self-inflates most of the way, then you top it off with the AirRoll Bag.
- Clip the Head Support Bridge attachments to the front headrests.
- Slide window screens over both rear doors for cross-ventilation, hang the seatback organizer on a front seat, and hang the privacy curtain if you use one.
- Sleeping solo on one half? Put the cooler or gear bag on the open side. Two of you? Move the cooler and kitchen gear to the front seats.
Teardown is the same in reverse, and you are back on the road soon after you wake up. Do one practice run in the driveway before the first trip.
Cold-weather camping note
The Outback goes places where a cold floor is a real issue. A windshield sun shade on the inside cuts heat loss from the front glass. Keep a rear window cracked slightly behind its screen even in the cold. It feels backward, but it keeps condensation from soaking your bedding overnight. The AIR+FOAM Pro's foam handles the cold from the floor, and the cracked window handles the moisture. Both matter.
Recovery and first aid for the drive in
The dispersed sites that make the Outback worth owning are usually at the end of a dirt road, and airing down for washboard or sand only works if you can air back up before the highway. The ARB Onboard Air Compressor does that from the car's own 12 V system. ARB rates it at 3.08 CFM at 0 PSI, up to 100 PSI and a 50% duty cycle. It is a permanent install that mounts in the car and wires to the battery, and ARB does not publish an Outback mounting spot, so confirm with us before ordering.
Add a first aid kit that lives in the door pocket. The My Medic Hiker Medic is a small, resealable pouch that My Medic fills with bandages and gauze, antiseptic, blister care, a whistle, a space blanket, 25 feet of paracord, water purification tablets and single-dose medications. It also comes along on the hike from camp. Our off-road recovery kit guide goes deeper, and our Outback gear collection covers protection and trail accessories.
-
For airing back up after the dirt road.
- 3.08 CFM at 0 PSI, up to 100 PSI
- 50% duty cycle, 12 V
- Outback mounting not published, confirm with us before ordering
-
For the door pocket and the trail.
- Bandages, gauze, blister care
- Whistle, space blanket, 25 ft paracord
- Water purification tablets
Outback car camping build order by budget
Start with sleep, since a good night is the whole point. Add a cooler and the grill next, then fridge power, the stove kit, lights, privacy and the compressor for longer, colder trips. Shop more in our Outback gear collection, Subaru gear and sleep and camp collections.
| Budget | What to buy |
|---|---|
| Starter | Outback AIR Pro mattress, window screens, camping fan, seatback organizer and gear and shoe bag |
| Mid-range | Outback AIR Pro mattress, window screens, camping fan, seatback organizer, gear and shoe bag, Unrestricted Duffel 25L and HitchFire F20 |
| Full build | Outback AIR+FOAM Pro mattress, window screens, camping fan, seatback organizer, gear and shoe bag, privacy curtain, Dometic CFX5 35, Dometic PLB15, HitchFire F20, XLite pot set, string lights, ARB compressor and Hiker Medic |
The starter sleep kit is the core of the setup. For Outback owners who camp in cold weather or do multi-night trips, the AIR+FOAM Pro is the version worth getting.
What to skip in an Outback
- A generic air mattress. The extra length gives it room to slide, and the wheel wells and seatback ledge are where it gives out.
- A full-size hard cooler on the cargo floor with two sleepers. The mattress fills the floor. Run a soft or compact powered cooler and move it to the front seats at night.
- Relying on the liftgate for airflow. Crack windows on opposite sides behind the screens instead.
- Cooking inside the car. Cook outside on the F20 or a camp stove, then load the kitchen back in once it has cooled.
Frequently asked questions
Can you sleep in a Subaru Outback?
Yes. Fold the rear seatbacks and Subaru lists 75.9 inches of load length at the floor on the 2026 Outback and 75.0 inches on 2020 to 2025 models. Luno's fit tool puts every Outback from 1998 to 2026 in its Size 2 mattress, 80 x 53 inches inflated, with Head Support Bridge straps holding up the head end at the front seats.
Which Luno mattress fits a Subaru Outback?
Luno's fit tool puts the 1998 to 2026 Outback in its Size 2 (80 x 53 in inflated) with the Forester and Ascent. If you run a cargo drawer or raised floor, confirm with us before ordering.
Does the mattress fit the 2020 to 2025 Outback?
Yes. Luno's fit tool lists the Outback for 1998 to 2026 in Size 2, and this guide is written around the BT Outback (2020 to 2025). On a 2019 or older Outback or a 2026 or newer Outback, confirm with us before ordering.
Where does the cooler go at night?
The Size 2 mattress fills the cargo floor. On solo trips, the AIR Pro unzips down the middle so a soft cooler or gear bag can ride on the open side. With two people sleeping, the cooler and kitchen box move up to the front seats.
Which window screen size fits an Outback?
Luno's size list puts the Outback in Medium. Run screens on both rear door windows for cross-ventilation. They come as a pair with a storage pouch.
Which mattress is best for cold-weather trips?
The AIR+FOAM Pro. Polyurethane foam inside the air chambers gives pressure relief and floor insulation, rated R-value 11 for four seasons, and two independent air chambers let each sleeper set their own firmness.
What should I cook on?
A tabletop propane grill on a camp table. The HitchFire F20 Portable Tabletop Propane Grill puts out 20,000 BTU and needs no hitch receiver, swing arm or bulky mounting hardware. The Sea to Summit XLite Collapsible 2L Pot, Kettle and Pan Set covers coffee and one pot meals on a camp stove.
How do I power the fan and a 12V cooler?
The fan runs from a USB port or power bank. The Dometic PLB15 has 12 V, USB-C and USB-A outputs and is rated at up to 192 Wh at 12 V. Dometic lists electric coolers among the 12 V devices it can run but does not publish a run time with a specific cooler.
What does the full Outback setup cost?
The starter kit is the mattress, window screens, seatback organizer, gear and shoe bag and fan, with the AIR+FOAM Pro as the step up from the AIR Pro. Adding the Dometic Unrestricted Duffel 25L and the HitchFire F20 makes it the mid-range kit.
Related guides
- Subaru Forester car camping setup
- Subaru Crosstrek car camping setup
- Car camping setup guide
- Camp kitchen checklist for car camping
- Off-road recovery kit guide
Ready for a night out? Start with the Subaru Outback mattress, or browse the full Outback gear collection for protection gear, roof racks and recovery equipment. Not sure something fits your year or trim? Contact us and we will point you toward what fits.