Survey Says: Women Overpack, Men Don’t Bring Enough Underwear on Vacation

by  Molly Fergus | Jun 8, 2011
Packing for a trip
Packing for a trip / seb_ra/iStock

I’m all for packing light, carrying on suitcases, and saving on baggage fees when I’m traveling – but not at the cost of personal hygiene.

According to one U.K.-based survey, that’s because I’m female.

The Sunshine travel agency surveyed 1,294 people and found that on average, men bring three pairs of underwear on a weeklong vacation (that’s not even one fresh pair every other day); women, comparatively, pack 10 undies for that same seven-day trip. Note that these are average numbers, so some guys have plenty of boxers and briefs stowed away in their luggage – but others admit to packing fewer than three pairs.

The reasoning: 37 percent of men say underwear is simply unnecessary because they spend most of their time in swim trunks, and another 12 percent make plans to do laundry while away.

Not surprisingly, the survey revealed what stereotypes already say: Men use about 98 percent of what they bring on vacation, while women admit to overpacking and wearing around 62 percent of the items in their suitcases.

Ladies, gentlemen, what’s the scoop? Does the survey data mirror your packing habits, or this is a British phenomenon? Tell us in the comments.

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