Is the UK a Nation of Overpackers?
With the summer holiday season rapidly approaching, you’re probably already dreaming of sunny beaches and clear skies. However, the rapidly approaching departure date often triggers a subtle sense of dread as you eye your empty suitcase. It turns out that you are far from alone in this pre-trip anxiety!
Recent data collected in a study from tombola, the UK’s leading bingo site, reveals that a staggering 86% of Brits openly admit to overpacking for their overseas getaways. The study shows that 69% of people pack too many clothes, while 36% over-prepare with extra shoes, and 31% pile in surplus underwear.
Unpacking these quirky habits reveals just how far we will go to bring our daily routines with us, often at the expense of the essentials we actually need!
What Are We Packing?
The tombola research highlights some incredibly quirky essentials that find their way into British luggage.
For instance, 37% of holidaymakers refuse to travel without their preferred teabags, and 25% make sure to slide their favourite slippers into their bags.
You might even find yourself packing to control your holiday environment. Roughly 32% of respondents transport cleaning products abroad, while one in ten travellers brings their own coat hangers to keep their garments pristine.
Interestingly, our collective love for holiday reading rarely matches reality. While British travellers pack an estimated 18.5 million books annually, 16% of those readers confess that they never even open the front cover while away!
What is Most Commonly Forgotten?
While you might successfully squeeze your favourite mug or extension lead into your case, focusing on luxuries often means you leave the absolute essentials behind. In fact, two-thirds of the British public admit to forgetting crucial items when travelling overseas.
Suncream tops this list at 32%, followed closely by plug adaptors and phone chargers. And the stakes rise significantly depending on who handles the preparation. Men face a much higher risk of holiday disruption, as they are twice as likely as women to forget their passports!
Check your essential documents before you leave the house to save yourself from an expensive, stressful dash back from the airport.
How to Avoid Overpacking
We generally overpack because we fear the unknown or crave absolute comfort in an unfamiliar place. To combat this urge, professional packing expert Nicki Rodriguez suggests a visual and methodical approach. Instead of folding your garments, roll them tightly to eliminate creases and unlock valuable luggage space.
You can also revolutionise your routine by mapping out your wardrobe. Lay out your specific holiday outfits for each day onto your bed so you can visually verify exactly what you will wear. By matching your clothes to your itinerary ahead of time, you eliminate the “just in case” mindset that leads to heavy bags.
Could Early Packing Be a Preventative?
The average Brit begins the packing process 11 days before their flight, while one in five highly organised individuals starts over a month in advance. On the other end of the spectrum, 23% of travellers rush through the entire process in under an hour.
Rushing creates a frantic environment where mistakes thrive. If you give yourself a few dedicated windows throughout the week prior to your flight, you can deliberate over your choices rather than throwing random items into your suitcase in a panic.
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