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Overpackers: what’s inside your suitcase?

It’s official: the UK is a nation of overpackers.

The return of restriction-free travel this year means that millions of us are predicted to jump on a plane and head abroad on a summer holiday – some for the first time in more than three years. And whether we’re heading off to distant climes on holiday this year or somewhere closer to home, it seems that Brits have one thing in common: a love of overpacking our suitcases.

Most people will be familiar with that age-old conundrum: are 12 pairs of socks overkill for a 4-night stay? How many bags are too many? Will I really need this extra hat? Before deciding to pack them all anyway, just to be safe.

Of course, being prepared is no bad thing. Holidays are a time to relax, and if you feel more at ease knowing that you have enough underwear to last two weeks instead of one, then we say go right ahead. However, overpacking can be an expensive business. From excess baggage fees to the cost of replacing oversized toiletries ditched at the airport security gates, things can start to really add up.

To explore the topic in more detail, we surveyed 2,000 Brits on their overall packing habits. How often do we overpack for our holidays – and by how much? Who are the worst culprits for overpacking? What is this costing us and why do we feel a need to do it? We also looked at some of the quirkiest items that Brits have packed for a holiday abroad.

In addition, we’ve enlisted the help of travel blogger Caroline Rowe, a UK-based travel blogger at Pack the Suitcases. She has provided her top tips on how to pack sparingly and save room for those all-important souvenirs that you may want to bring home with you. And don’t forget to check out our holiday shop for all those summer holiday essentials.

Let’s dive in.

How often do Brits overpack for their holidays?

We discovered that at some point, a huge 90% of us have overpacked when going on holiday. And almost half of women admitted that they always pack too much when going away, compared to just a quarter of men.

The 25-34 age group were also found to be the most prolific over packers, with 53% saying they always bring too many items with them on holiday.

Our research also revealed that UK travellers will only use about three-quarters of the items they bring away with them – meaning that on average, we overpack by 26% every time we go on holiday. And that’s before we add children or other dependents into the mix.

We also found that women are most likely to overpack, with the average female traveller overpacking by 32% every time they go away, only using 68% of what they packed.

How often do Brits struggle to close their suitcase?

You’ve come to a final decision and you’re happy with the contents of your case – but then comes the almighty struggle to zip-up a bulging bag before heading out the door. According to our research, this experience is something that Brits know all too well!

In fact, almost a quarter of the female respondents in our survey said that they always struggle to close their suitcase when packing for a holiday, with a further 29% saying this is a frequent occurrence. By comparison, just one in 10 men admitted to always struggling to close their suitcase, with just over a third (34%) saying that they’ve never had this issue.

This is hardly surprising when considering that 13% of UK travellers pack at least 20 outfits for a 7-night trip, and 16% of people pack at least 11 pairs of underwear for a 7-night trip.

What are the strangest things that people have packed for a trip?

We also quizzed self-catered travellers on the strangest things they have ever brought with them on a trip – and the results may surprise you. Despite their booked accommodation being fully equipped with all necessary items, one in 20 people say they have packed an oven tray, toaster or kettle when going away.

A further third of respondents admit to bringing their own towels and bed linen to their self-catering accommodation, with one in five packing their own cutlery, glasses, plates and bowls. We’ve all heard of “packing” the kitchen sink, but for some people this is clearly a reality!

What are the main reasons behind overpacking? Our study discovered that a quarter of us feel anxious if we don’t pack lots of items when going away – with 18% saying that they often forget crucial items if not. Interestingly, however, a quarter of people say they often regret overpacking.

Just one in 10 people say they consider themselves to be a “minimalist” packer.

We asked Caroline, a travel blogger at Pack the Suitcases, for some top tips on how to avoid this challenge on your next trip.

She told us:

“I spend a lot of time living out of a suitcase. And I also love clothes and putting outfits together. I'm definitely not someone who can just shove jeans and t-shirts together without thinking! But overpacking or packing the wrong stuff would be a big problem when I'm on the go for several weeks or months at a time. After many years, I've got packing down to a fine art.

“Planning is everything. I have a spreadsheet I use to map out how many days I'm at a destination and what I'm likely to do there. I then fill in an outfit for each day, plus a spare. No more, no less - otherwise it's a waste of suitcase space. I also consider the weather (websites like Weather Spark give an excellent yearly average for any destination).

“For a 3-day city break in June, for example, I know I'll be busy seeing museums, eating, drinking, and walking a lot. And I know it'll be hot. This means I'll only pack light dresses, shirts and shorts, plus a denim jacket for evenings as it goes with everything. I'm strict with my footwear: only plain white trainers and sandals that I can easily walk all day in and that go with all the outfits. I take one bag that matches it all too, usually a rattan one for summer. This plan means I have a different look each day but only have what I need. One more tip for packing: roll everything - never fold!”

Which UK city overpacks the most?

Which UK city can lay claim to being the overpacking capital? We found that on average, Cardiff residents tend to overpack the most when going on holiday, with more than half of people saying that they always bring too many items with them on a break. This is followed by Sheffield, where 51% of people always overpack, and Bristol, where the figure is 50%.

In contrast, Manchester and Plymouth were found to be the cities that overpack the least – with just 35% and 26% of residents saying that they always stuff their suitcases full of things that they don’t end up using.

Our research also looked at how much time we spend preparing our suitcases before leaving for a trip. We discovered that, on average, Brits start the packing process 4-5 days ahead of their holiday. For one in 10 of UK travellers, this increases significantly to two weeks in advance. However, at the other end of the spectrum, 11% of people pack their suitcase on the day of their trip.

Summary

It’s clear to see that the UK is a nation of overpackers – and this looks unlikely to change anytime soon! So, if you’re going to squeeze too much swimwear, sandals, underwear and accessories into our suitcase, why not treat yourself to some new ones? Take a look at our holiday shop for inspiration.

For more tips and advice on how to avoid overpacking your suitcase this year, head over to our YouTube channel.

NEXT surveyed 2,000 UK adults in May 2022. The overall cost of overpacking figures have been calculated by multiplying the average cost of abandoned toiletries and excess baggage per person by the predicted number of UK travellers abroad in 2022.

ABTA data has found that 61% of people plan to go abroad this year (41,838,140 people).

https://www.abta.com/industry-zone/reports-and-publications/travel-in-2022