Why do people act like it’s a moral failure to not pack light? AIBU to enjoy taking stuff on holiday with me?

I am an under-packer and only ever bring just a carry on (even for the kids) and always book hotels with washing facilities etc. Even for a three week Asia trip, we only had hand luggage! But for me it’s more about convenience: I just want to get out the airport at the other end, not wait for luggage, I want to just go through security without having to check bags and I really don’t need that much. It’s just one of those things, I would find having a suitcase a real faff now. Also less stuff to lose in the hotel room and less stuff to wash at the other end…

There is something funny about people with 19 massive suitcases trying to navigate the Gatwick express at 7am.
I think packing light shows a level of organisation - like not having a house full of clutter.

7 pairs for 7 days so I'd say we're cut from the same cloth 😂

My own record is 11 pairs of shoes for a two week holiday. Are you worse?!

I don’t know about two pairs of gold sandals, but if you enjoy clothes and fashion, then holidays are a great place to dress up! No pressures of work or other responsibilities, you can relax and enjoy wearing lots of different looks.

If you’re not interested in style or fashion at home, you probably aren’t on holiday either and that’s fine. But for those of us that are, summer holidays can be even more fun with an exciting wardrobe to choose stuff from! Esp as summer stuff often does not get worn much at home.

I love a good old passegiata wearing nice clothes, and so do the locals!

I've never been a light packer a day in my life. Most people would be horrified by how many pairs of shoes I bring away with me. I'm even worse now I've got kids.

I don't pack light either, and yes, loads of people do seem to consider it some sort of moral failure. I like to have plenty of choice of what I'm going to wear each day, I can't stand wearing the same clothes to go out for dinner that I've been wearing for a day of a sightseeing. And the thought of having to do any kind of washing on holiday is just depressing.

I also tend to take quite a lot of skincare/pharmacy stuff with me, because I love it and like to be able to adapt skincare to the conditions.

If I do a short break where I have to take a Ryanair cabin bag, I can do it, but I cram way more into it than the average person does. I use compression packing cubes where you can squash 15 tops into something the size of an A4 document folder 😁

Before I bought a Kindle, I used to take loads of books on holiday, and that was usually the thing that stretched my baggage allowance to its limit. I remember in my pre-Kindle days that my DP had to point out that I might have to reduce my fortnight's reading down from 12 books to eight, which I agreed to do only when he reminded me that I would able to buy a few more at the airport.

I agree with you!!!!

At home I have an entire wardrobe to chose from.

o don’t want to decide my entire weeks outfits a week in advance when ag home I decide about 30 seconds before I get dressed 🤣

Absolutely agree with you OP. I travel a lot overseas for work and my colleagues make it a big deal to only ever travel with carry on even if it's for a week. I don't pack light - I like to pack snacks, a travel cup for a cup of tea at night, gym gear and gym sneakers, clothing options etc. I can take carry on for 2-3 nights but anything beyond that, I always check in a suitcase. I don't see why that is an issue? My male colleagues are usually the most smug.

Those holiday capsule wardrobe recommendations always puzzle me. How can three tops last you a week?!

Yes, t bags and coffee too.

THANK YOU! DH is the light packing police. Always bloody has been as well. “Do we really need that?” “I’m sure the hotel will have a hair dryer” well I want MY hair dryer with MY diffuser, let me live.

Idk maybe he complains because he carries it actually. Call me sexist but that’s a man’s job, use that physical strength advantage for good and carry my massive case 😭.

Yes like having choice. 22kg from Jet 2 is great, one of the first ones to do it for a holiday. TUI stuck at a measly 15kg for years. Finally pushed it up to 20kg .

You may want to bring things back too. It's not just on the way out. It allows you to bring things back.

On mumsnet you’re only allowed to own two 2 shirts, a cardigan, 3 pairs of pants and 2 pairs of trousers. Apparently they manage to look appropriate for all occasions with just that 😂

For some people planning their outfits is part of the fun. She's a teenager and she wants to look nice on holiday. Why shouldn't she be able to take her make up case and her hair straighteners? It's not unreasonably to want to look nice when your going out every evening. It's not unreasonable to want fresh clothes daily. I wear fresh clothes daily at home

If your all so under the limit why don't you just take her straighteners for her and a pair of trainers and save all the fuss?

I prefer a carry on, but the only time I think about other people’s luggage is when I’m commuting on the Piccadilly line & the people going to / from Heathrow take up half the aisle & several seats with their annoying big cases.

If it’s busy, I always either ask to sit down & watch them grudgingly rearrange their luggage, or catch a standing person’s eye & say ‘There’s a spare seat here.’

You know a few people who do this? What sort of company do you keep?

Yeah and this. We can’t get too many cases in our hire car.

TBH for me it’s just that we only take 2 suitcases between 5 of us due to the cost so we have to pack as light as possible! Back when I used to do package holidays in late teens and early 20s I filled a suitcase to myself.

I overpack by some peoples standards. My parents were they type who would take us on holiday with one pair of shorts, three t-shirts and a couple of dresses for two weeks 🙄
Literally went to all the kids entertainment/clubs with nothing nice to wear. My mum still bangs on about how much we all overpack.

I’d love to take more stuff with me but it comes down to practicalities. We usually rent a villa and a car to get there from the airport. With 5 of us in the car there’s just no room for everyone to take a big suitcase so we have to pack light. I’ve actually never done a package holiday where everyone gets full luggage allowance!

I love planning my holiday wardrobe. We drive to
the South of France so I get a nice big case all to myself as space is not an issue. If I do an EasyJet weekend I will almost always just take a teeny case but I love the challenge of squeezing in an extra dress. I enjoy dressing nicely on holiday, as opposed to wearing joggers and t shirts for wfh most of the year.

With my daughter, it's not a moral failing, it's the DRAMA.

She knows she has 22kg or 20kg or whatever. The week running up to the holiday it's a constant dialogue about how many shoes to take, whether she should take her straighteners, what shampoo, weighing the case, weighing the case again, huffing and puffing about why 22kg is SO UNREASONABLE and how there is NO WAY that she could wear an outfit twice, eye rolling at suggestions that maybe not an entire make up case is necessary and neither is 5 pairs of trainers, huffing and puffing about being asked to bring her own case downstairs, huffing and puffing about how it's SO HEAVY and unfair..

When the rest of us are just packing our stuff and staying way under the limit.

The Kate adie thing makes sense. Personally I feel i look like shit on holiday so I don’t want to draw attention to it by overdressing so I go the other way. I try and deliberately forget things like straighteners so my hair is a mess as I haven’t done it rather than it’s a mess after I’ve spent time on it. Lipstick on a pig is the (I know awful thing to say about yourself) is what comes to mind for me. I’m ok on cooler city breaks where I can wear a coat and cover up.

I don’t pack light. I once came home from a week’s holiday with 18 pairs of clean pants. I have no idea what scenario would have required that many pairs of pants.