TECHNIQUES TO PACKING
With having a two seater we know how much space we’re restricted to. I personally have never camped with an extra person in the Miata. I usually will go with a group of friends and we’ll all go one car per person (since we all have Miatas). If we want to carpool we’ll take our bigger cars. So whether you’re going alone or going with friends in the Miatas, do not have a passenger. On that note, lose the passenger seat. Taking out the passenger seat is key for maximum space. I don’t think I have ever camped with my passenger seat still installed. This gives you room for 3 of the most space inhabiting components to your campsite; your firewood, your cooler, and your main storage box that holds most of your gear.
54qt cooler & collapsible crate in the passenger side of my NB roadster
Two bundles of firewood will just get you through the first night. If you are only staying one night then that should be fine. If you plan on staying for longer you will need to go pickup some more wood once you have setup your campsite whether you are disperse camping or at a curated campsite. With no passenger seat you will have more than enough room for 3+ bundles of wood like this:
Another key to packing efficiently is use every space available. Camp gear shapes are mostly rolled up cyclical shapes or cubes so those will go in the obvious spaces. But there are loose unconventional items that you can fit into other places in the car that only us Miata owners know about. For example, the rear parcel shelf can hold a ton of gear of odd shapes. If you have your soft top removed (or up) it’s even more space because there are these little pockets that kind of go behind the seatbelts that fit more than you may think, so don’t forget about them! As for the trunk, it will most likely be a game of Tetris. With proper packing techniques you could fit all of this in one Miata!
Mt. Rainier National Park - Ashford, WA July 2024
One last key to packing efficiently may be the most obvious but is often overlooked. DO NOT OVERPACK. Whether you’re going alone or with friends, pack only what is needed. Camping has a lot of X factors that we may not always be prepared for, but packing like you have infinite space will not serve you well. Grab the essentials first, and if you have room for anything extracurricular then feel free.
