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

[igotitbadforyou]

I’ve noticed this on a lot of packing/holiday threads. Lots of sneering and looking down on people for packing more than is “needed”.

Technically you could go on holiday with the clothes on your back and a spare pair of underwear and that be that, but I enjoy having options and taking some of my home comforts with me.

Why do people act like it’s wrong to do this? It doesn’t impact anyone else.

And having read the rest of this thread it seems that people are far prouder of over packing than under. Just do what suits you I say.

I see a luggage allowance as a target not a limit.

I see a holidayas a stand out treat in the year and I'm not so poor that I have to save a few £ on luggage.

In all my recent trips the luggage has been waiting on the carousel by the time I have cleared passports so I don't agree with the idea that it "saves time".

Even if it did take longer I want nice clothes and several pairs of shoes. I get sore feet and need a variety of footwear.

In the days before kindles I would pack a lot of books.

I have a lot of medication which takes a chunk of space in hand luggage.

I will not be doing laundry on holiday.

I usually do package holidays as my nearest airport doesn't do budget airlines and they include a luggage allowance.

I knew an Australian who did exactly that. Came to England for six weeks. Bit of a prat though! I say this as someone who travels fairly light.

Depends upon whether you've just had to walk the best part of an hour to a hotel whilst the other party drags something large enough to hide a body in and is still miffed that you said they were not bringing two IKEA bags of stuff as well this time.

I don’t see why it’s a problem though!

im taking 20kg hold luggage plus two carry on bags for a week away. I’m not ashamed of that.

I love a good heavy suitcase. I need day clothes, night clothes and options!

Out last trip was 42 nights, Alaska, then cruised from there to Australia, very different weather from one end of the trip to the other. We took 3 cases for 2 adults. It covered all eventualities and cold weather gear is bulky. Out taking 3 cases impacted nobody else and we have bought cases that wheel really easily, so no trouble moving them around ourselves.

Now, carry on is different. We have a small wheely carry on each. It has medications, toiletries and a change of clothes just in case. When I board, I'm very organised for long haul flights. I pull out my noise cancelling headphones and a small 'essentials' pack. This has everything I might need for the flight, toothbrush, a few items for freshening up, panadol etc. I consider if my own failing if I need to get up and down and access anything else out of that bag during a 14 hour flight. I'll get that bag down only if someone has spilt a drink on me or vomited on me (both have happened and it was strangers both times).

My taking a big suitcase and checking it in only affects me. It's the people with carry on, or oversized carry on, who then get things out of it every half hour during a flight that drive me batty. No sign of any organisational skills or planning at all.

I’m organised.

I’m organised enough to plan different outfits for every night of a trip!

I do take two carry on bags, but one sits in the locker above and is for the other end. My essentials go in my underseat bag

I will remember this!

I'm an overpacker, I like to have nice things with me on holiday and a choice of clothes, contingency pants are a good thing and I'm too messy to cope with a capsule wardrobe and wearing a white shirt in three different ways.

Family of 4... 92kg of luggage... that's not a maximum it's a target.

I can't help but see over packing as an example of excess and consumerism though eg why does anyone need 2 pairs of gold sandles?

And this is what the OP means by people who see packing light as morally superior.

Over-packing really doesn't mean taking two near-identical sandals on holiday, though. It just means taking lots of stuff. Not lots of the same stuff.

If someone takes two pairs of gold sandals on holiday, it's more likely that they've got two different types of sandal that work for two different types of activity, but which just happen to be gold - eg, a pair of battered old chunky gold Birkenstocks for sightseeing and a pair of strappy, delicate gold Roman sandals to wear with a dress in the evening.

I've definitely taken two pairs of Converse on holiday with me. That's because my old black ones are scruffy and broken in and comfortable for walking through city streets all day, or exploring a ruin, or walking around an art gallery for six hours, and my white ones are newer and cleaner and smarter and don't look out of place worn with a dress for lunch/dinner in a nice restaurant. I'm not sure that really makes me some sort of arch-consumerist greed-monster.

Yep, same!

I’ll easily take 33kg on my next holiday lol. I want my nice creams and shower gel 🤣🤣🤣

lol, exactly what I mean.

I have three pairs of trainers I take on holiday - one for walking day to day, one for lazier walking days and one for evenings. They’re all very similar.

I don’t care if I look silly. I’d rather have my books and body lotion!

And that you travel regularly and have honed the skill. My teenager packs like she is leaving home because she is a kid and hasn't worked out that it's just easier to pack what you will need not what you will need plus 50% more.

Like someone said about cabin crew - they aren't the ones struggling through the airport with the bursting suitcases.

I pack fairly light as we always go on self organised trips that involve a lot of public transport (including to and from the airport) if i can't carry it easily on a metro system at rush hour then it's too much.

I don't judge over packers if they pay for hold luggage, I absolutely judge those dicks who over pack cabin baggage and then bitch and whine when they can't get it to the overhead lockers or cause delays when the air crew have to relocate some in to the hold.

Although TBH i am not sure what everyone is taking - i'm going to the south of France at the end of the month and will get 8 days worth of outfits in to a Kipling duffle bag (aka the Tardis) and a 10l rucksack

Excellent! 👠

But so what if you haven’t honed the skill?

I’ve travelled at least 3 times a year since 6 months old. I still enjoy taking a lot of stuff - id rather have a dress option that I dont wear, than being without it and wanting it!

Hahahah I can beat this - 16 t-shirts for a 10 day holiday!

I don’t think it’s great that the plane cabin is now so full of luggage, especially the overhead lockers. I prefer the old days where everybody just put their suitcases in the hold!

Good to have options!

My dad is a “you could put everything I need in a Sainsbury’s bag” person, my mum is a five suitcases if she was allowed person

You have a point! I can be a bit snobby about it I suppose. Obviously it isn't "immoral" - that made me laugh!

I will admit to rolling my eyes when I see people struggling with huge suitcases. I see women (usually) who cannot lift their own cases onto a train, never mind onto the luggage rack. They mainly cause problems for themselves, but actually they do get in the way of other people. It's so unecessary. Obviously it's not "immoral". But it does seem silly!

Sometimes of course big bags are not a problem. If we drive to France then yes we put loads of things in the car, because we may as well! We will take indoor and outdoor games, lots of shoes, a cooler bag with food in, an inflatable kayak that we are not sure we will use. We will take bikes (to be fair, only if we plan to use them). But when I fly or take public transport I prefer a small bag.

It's probably also linked to the idea that if you always take the type of holidays where big bags are not a constraint (staying in one place, not using public transport) then you're doing lots of the types of holidays that I consider the most exciting and rewarding. We've had lovely holidays driving our car full of stuff to France. But we've had amazing holidays travelling independently around multiple parts of a country, and for those holidays a small cabin bag or a rucksack are so much better. And lugging a huge case around is silly.

The airlines sell the amount of bags they can, and if it’s full they check them at the gate. Not really awful is it? If I’m flying BA I always pack with that in mind and treat the second bag as a free hold bag!

My only regret is when I come back and there are unused clothes. I still feel like I have to iron them as they are usually crumpled from their overseas trip.

I love going light. I did a short trip with just underwear and rewore my clothes. It was great to have nothing. I always worry that checked luggage is going to get lost, stolen or damaged and I’d prefer to have nothing. No queue to check a bag in or to struggle with some stupid machine.