Been offroading in my manual 2.5 for quite a few years now. It does really well and i can think of quite a few situations where having the low range has stopped me getting stuck or helped me through something i would have otherwise struggled with.

If you are off the beaten path remember to actually use your low range. While you might be able to clear an obstacle without it you will save wear on your clutch and drive train by not riding the clutch at low speeds.

Have fun, you will be surprised by how much a forester can do if you just pick your line right.