I thought someone should note how much you can actually get packed in a mini. Today we are preparing for Thanksgiving retreat to meet family in the Boone, NC area. We have only had our new mini for a couple of months now and have been anxious to get it on some windies. Problem is (was) I didn't think I could pack all we needed to feed the family that’s meeting us, plus our own gear. I decided to do a "test
Pack" to see what I actually could manage and stay in the mini, so as to avoid the trip in the Tahoe. So hear is what I managed:
2 turkeys
1 Ham
2 trays of dressing
2 cakes
4 pies
1 gal. of chili
1 10 lb. bag of potatoes
64 dinner rolls,
1 tin of cookies (compliments of Mini of Nashville)
liter of scotch, liter of vodka, 5 bottles of wine
assorted kitchen stuff from paper & plastic dinner ware to coffee
1 (boxed) radiant heater
2 duffle bags of clothes
1 album of traveling music
1 single Aero bed (no relation to the aero kit)
and finally
2 folks in search of a Miami Beach diet.
So no Tahoe this time, but it will probably be terribly sluggish as I try to dash thru the mountains.

 

That is some excellent packing.
I have been told that cases of wine can fit with no problem. I know that 3 to 4 can fit in the boot alone, one high. Who needs a tahoe.

 

I've been camping several times in my MINI. All the stuff fits fine....haven't tried two people's stuff, though. ......and one time I fit a 27" TV (in the box) in the back of my car and the rear hatch did shut....

 

You missed the best part...THE PICTURE

Makes a great emergency kit too

 

I too have been amazed at what you can get in a Mini..

2 full size orienatal rugs
3 unassembled garage shelving units
enough bead boarding and trim to do an entire room..
it's funny you come out of the hardware store and the guy says "you'll never get this in THAT" ha ha ha...

With the seats down it is a total of 24 cubic feet, thats more than most full-size saloons...

murmin

 

in hearing this i am betting both my dogs will have no problems fitting in the back of the MINI !

 

The wife and I loaded our MINI with:

4-man Tent

Tarps

Air mattress and pump

Sleeping bags

Pillows/blankets

Lanterns w/batts

Stove w/fuel (2 cannisters)

Ice chest (filled)

Rope

Tent stakes

Cookware/coffee pot

forks, spoons, knives

plates, bowls,cups

can opener

bottle opener

knife

tongs

spatula

Big spoon

marshmellow forks

table cloth and clips

folding table

folding chairs

radio w/batteries

X Pen (folding dog kennel)

leashes

dog bowls, food, treats

charcoal, charcoal fluid

first aid kit

Canon Digital camera

Garmin eTrex GPS

hatchet

hammer

broom, dustpan

shovel

rake

bucket

dish soap

scrub sponge

garbage bags

paper towels

toilet paper

zip lok bags

aluminum foil

sunscreen

insect repellant

Breakfast, lunch and dinner food for three days

12 pack of beer

2 bottles of wine

12 pack of Cokes

2.5 gallon water bottle


...and two dachshunds!

Here's a couple of pix!

 

i love packing my MINI with stuff...here's a pic of me going camping and one with about 100 bowling pins (don't ask!)

 

no problem! I've had a german shepard, a fat husky, a border collie mix and a roommate all stuffed in mine :smile:

 

LOL! I wish I'd taken pix of Wanda fully-loaded for her two big coss-country Springtime Roadtrips! I basically lived out of her for six weeks, two years in a row! She was filled to the gills, including a full-size spare! Next spring, I'll be sure to take pix of her loaded up....it's so funny! And, BTW, the ride was awesome!

Clover

 

Great info/photos on what you can put into a Mini. How about a bike? This will be a big consideration for me as I decide on a possible Mini purchase. Will a road bike fit with the rear seats folded if I remove the front wheel? How about if both wheels are removed? A photo of a bike in the back of a Mini would be great! Thanks.

 

Going to ***** Creek with all them bowling pins? Where's the Uzi?

 

No cheatn with ur double spaced essay

 

There was a post many moons ago where a dude filled the back of his MINI with beer for a wedding receptiong. That was a great pic.

This thread needs more pics!

 

After my son's wedding 2 weeks ago, we packed the MINI with aproximately 30 gifts, all the envelopes with money, 2 giant floral arrangements, large picture with guests signatures, top of wedding cake, my change of clothes, & we threw in a couple of my son's fraternity brothers just for the heck of it.

Lois

 

One 42" TV w/o box


Had to unpack TV from box to fit. Then found out I needed the box if I had to return the TV under warrenty. I asked if the box needed to be "whole" they said no. Box was undone and folded in two sections then fitted inside. Sorry, no pictures. Oh, my took my son as well to help out carrying.

 

I crammed my mountain bike plus a duffle of clothing for a winter weekend bike trip into the back of my car -- back seats down and it was snug as a bug. Of course, you can also get a bike rack for your MINI...


Like Clo I, too, lived out of Ollie for a 6 week road trip (including a tote of car care products that I never used but are now very well traveled) - and I could still see perfectly out of the back window.

 

Hahahahaha, Toastie! I, too, took car care products...and wondered why, since my pals washed Wanda with THEIR stuff...or I went to the self-serve carwashes!

DiD took some amazing pix of his packing specifics for a big trip he took to Canada back in '02. Hopefully, he'll chime in here with them!

Clover

 

Great pics and stories of MINIs full of stuff!


Hey, MSFITOY when I saw 100 bowling pins, I immediately thought, “shooting range”. You wouldn’t be talking about ***** Creek outside of Louisville, Kentucky would you? Great, but strange place. It used to be $5-shoot all day. Can't beat it.

 

my friends and I have been trying to get to the shooting range so that we can get rid of some of the bowling pins. what I had in my MINI was only a small fraction of what we really have. I'm currently trying to make tables out of them (the bowling pins being the legs with a glass top) but I'm not handy with tools like the folks on "wing nuts" or "monster house".

 

Or how about 20 of your closest friends?