We’ve had a few long weekends away in the 5, all ok luggage wise, but we are going away for a week to Dorset and the luggage is mounting fast, I don’t want to go in my main car, it has to be the 5, but so far we have a very large sausage bag for clobber, my Camera rucksack , with DSLR , laptop, charging cables etc , a crate and cool bag with loaf of bread, olive oil, tins of beans sausages etc etc for breakfast the next morning in case we get their late, plus washing up liquid ,wine and Beers, Cafetiere and Coffee as I wont drink cheap shiite coffee, seperate bag of wife’s shoes for all occassions, snacks and drinks for the journey, towels and Duvet covers, selection of books and a board game, in case we don’t want to go to the pub.
Its gonna be tight,so now looking at boot bags and racks for next time, or chuck out the shoe bag and tell my wife walking boots look fine in a restaurant with a dress on 
How about a Naturist holiday?!
Maybe a thong or two or a Mankini?
Boot bag good, I have used one. Just take a sheet of polythene and an old towel to put on top of the boot contents in case you get heavy rain en route. I learned this after 200 miles in stair rod rain. The water wicks along the straps that go round the boot lid. The towel absorbs the moisture and the plastic keeps the contents dry.
We did 10 days to the Italian lakes with boot only - but we didn’t take groceries! I did have my camera backpack, 2 carry-ons, and a couple of softs bags in an ND. We also did 8 nights on our NC500 trip with just the boot.
No possibility of taking hiking boots, and the Imelda Marcos memorial shoe collection had to stay at home too.
I actually bought the carbon fibre rack and suitcase for the NC500 and managed without using it, so I sold it on for what it cost me. New, they are too expensive really - £700+IIRC.
We changed from a mk2 to a mk4 last year and there is significantly less room in the mk4!
(With the mk2 you could also use the space behind the seats where the roof folds down, but you can’t in the mk4).
We managed a week in Scotland in the Mk2, but would really struggle in the Mk4. I have therefore been looking at a boot rack…horrendously expensive but needs must!..
Agree, not cheap, but would make life easier on our next trip away for more than a weekend, will look in STHT , MX5 Parts , or on ebay maybe. 
That sounds quite a car load there. I’d consider putting the wife and 80% of the luggage on a train
Gonna have a dry run on Saturday , I think behind the seats and the passenger footwell are gonna be packed out. We toured / Camped all over Europe many years ago for 3 weeks on and old BMW boxer, so I know we can do it !
Just been “googling” the various options…
Carbon fibre one is just obscenely expensive. There are some “traditional” frames that don’t look too bad, and there is one that just fits using suction cups only (!?). The blurb suggests they are safe, but I don’t think my brain would like the idea and I would spend the whole trip looking in the rear view mirror “just in case”…
The one that appeals most at the moment is the “bag” with straps. For me this solution offers the safest / simplest…and cheapest solution by a country mile. It looks like they do them in 2 sizes. Given the “lightweight” construction of the boot lid I am not sure I would want to put that much weight in it anyway.
Another option may be to buy a “used” boot lid from a scrap yard and “drill” and fit a permanent boot rack to it, not sure how easy it is to swap out the whole boot lid(?) and probably a bit OTT.
Assuming you went for the “bag” option is it a legal requirement to fit it with a high level brake light as well?
Easily did an 18 day tour of Scotland (twice) with just using the boot of our NC.
Yes it was packed to the gunnels but it all went in. Large holdall, small holdall, rucksack and a smaller bag for all the bits and pieces. The shoes including walking boots making myself 2 x pairs, wife 3 x pairs were easily packed in and around the boot tucked between the baggage.
Any outer clothing like a small jacket/fleece and easily packed lightweight waterproof jackets were laid across the top of the boot or behind the seats to use as and when required.
My wife just takes her tablet and kindle, easy to pack. No food as such as it’s provided by the B&B each day and we stopped off at eateries along the way.
Surprised how much we could get in, we even brought back unworn clothes on the first trip so trimmed that down a little for the next lengthy trip.
You can use the space where the roof folds down in a Mk4, it just isn’t as easily accessible.
I did two separate week long trips in mine last autumn for work events followed by weekends away.
I had suits, a computer monitor, 15" laptop, two pop-up banners and various other buts and pieces for work, plus my weekend clothes. Then my female colleagues weeks work of clothes too!
Packing was done very careful but we got it all in my RF making use of the where the roof folds down for small/soft stuff that wasn’t needed at the start of the trip.
Got some great looks at a few of the hotels when we were unpacking with the RF hatch open 
…you probably can store some items in an RF rear shelf, but not the soft top version if you want to have the roof down.
In the Mk2 you could store stuff on the “rear shelf”, and then take it out and put it on top of the folded roof.
True, I couldn’t put the roof down when fully loaded but I guess it depends what the aim is…drive with the roof down on the way there, or get there and unload before having the option to put the roof down.
We have the roof down at every opportunity ( MK3 soft top ) so we’ll have to utilize every other bit of space.
Just watched the MX5 parts Boot bag video, all looks pretty good, and it all goes in the boot when done with , as the decent new Racks are so expensive, and It’ll remain on the boot for the duration of the holiday, and I don’t fancy trusting the one with just four suction pads without clamps! ,I’ll also look on ebay after this holiday 
All advice , tips and humour , helpful and appreciated .
Boz
I think with your situation and destination, travel there offload and tour around a boot bag sounds the best option.
If touring with the load, as we did, I prefer to have it tucked away then no need to worry about it (I usually do about these things, that’s me) and of course better rearward vision.
Another supporter for the BootBag option, had one for a while when I had S2000 and did runs to Le Mans with in all weathers never let me down until one of the buckles broke. BootBag very kindly sent me a new strap free of charge even after all that time.
did the nc 500 in a RF for 12 days rule for the wife we are not fine dinning or dancing all you need is something to keep you warm and dry…boot full and loaded behind the seats had a change of clothes every day limited the amount of shoes she needed did b&b so we only needed sweets and a drink in the cab…never needed a boot rack now have a NC when we go on our next road trip it will be a lot easier more room …might even take her out dancing… 
Used the boot bag for the first time a short while ago.
Little bit fiddly packing up, but once you get used to it works well.
Good for the occasional use for holidays etc.
Didn’t move an inch or mark the boot.
I was also surprised that the roof goes up and down (just!) with it on.(Even easier with the soft top).
Adapted another brake light just in case job.
Personally I think the vacation bigger one would be too big in my opinion.
Picked mine up second hand on eBay which was basically still brand new for £35, so a bargain really.
That’s just the job, I’ll look on ebay as well to start with .
P.S Nice car
…just the job…seems like the best option to me…and yes probably best to get the smaller (50ltr) version for an MX…otherwise I may be pulling wheelies by the time TOH has filled it up!!..