TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - Nov 4, 2015) - When it comes to packing habits, are you a folder or a roller? A planner or procrastinator? Do you make a packing list? Do you weigh your luggage? These are just some of the questions Cheapflights.ca, the champions of simple travel search, asked more than 1,000 Canadians in a recent online survey on packing practices.
The survey found that Canadians take pride in their packing capabilities, with over 75 per cent of respondents saying they consider themselves good at packing. In fact, Canadians are quite the planners with more than 44 per cent starting to pack at least two to three days before a trip and close to 32 per cent starting a week in advance. (Only 21 per cent -- the majority being men -- are procrastinators, waiting until the night before to pack.) Moreover, close to 62 per cent prepare a packing list and 68 per cent plan or lay out outfits when packing. Breaking that data down further shows that 80 per cent of women surveyed plan or lay out their outfits when packing compared to 56 per cent of men.
What Canadians pack
Packing starts with the basics and, apparently, Canadians are likeminded on that front. When it comes to underwear, Canadians are pragmatic yet somewhat cautious, with 42 per cent saying they pack one pair for every day of the trip, plus a spare. Only 12 per cent are overly cautious, bringing twice as many pairs as days on the trip. Dig deeper and you'll find that slightly more women (47 per cent) bring one pair for each day of the trip, plus the spare, than men (37 per cent). In fact, 12 per cent of men are more likely to throw caution to the wind (versus 9 per cent of women), saying they pack however many pairs they happen to throw in.
When asked how many pairs of shoes they pack, the number one overall answer (at 73 per cent) was two to three pairs. However, when you look at the breakdown between women and men, 76 per cent of ladies pack two to three pairs versus 69 per cent of men. In fact, 25 per cent of men said they only bring one pair of shoes, compared to a mere 14 per cent of women who manage on one pair alone.
Between the spare underwear and the shoes, it seems Canadians are overpacking a bit. When asked if they wear everything they bring, 60 per cent of respondents said no. Women, at 62 per cent, are even less likely to wear all their outfits than men (58 per cent).
How Canadians pack
When it comes to how Canadians pack, the survey results show 67 per cent prefer to fold their clothes as opposed to rolling. In fact, folding is the preferred method for both men and women, with slightly more men (71 per cent) choosing this traditional style of packing versus 62 per cent of women who fold. That being said, 38 per cent of Canadian women (vs. 29 per cent of men) cross into rolling territory.
Next, we come to packing for others, which is the area where the data shows the biggest difference between Canadian men and women. Overall, 62.5 per cent of respondents said they pack only for themselves, with 23 per cent saying they pack for a spouse/significant other and 13 per cent packing for their kids. When the data is broken down between the men and women, 53 per cent of women only pack for themselves versus 73 per cent of men. Additionally, 30 per cent of women pack for their spouse/significant other versus 16 per cent of men who do the same. And 16 per cent of women pack for their kids versus 10 per cent of men.
Canadians follow the rules... mostly
Canadians also take pride in following the rules, with more than 66 per cent of those surveyed saying they never try to push the limits on carry-on luggage or checked luggage size restrictions. In fact, in order to make sure they don't break the rules, 57 per cent said they weigh their luggage before going to the airport. That, of course, means some 43 per cent (45 per cent men and 42 per cent women) of Canadians are rebels who test their luck and hope for the best when they check their luggage.
"Canadian travellers are usually easy to spot as they're the ones touting their national pride with the Canadian maple leaf on their suitcase, backpack or duffle bag," says Melisse Hinkle, editor at Cheapflights.ca. "But the maple leaf isn't the only thing Canadians seem to have in common when it comes to packing. They take on the world with a luggage scale, spare pair of underwear and a packing list, making them the perfect no-nonsense nomads."
Findings are based on an online survey of 1,010 Canadians conducted in a 24-hour period over October 22 and 23, 2015. See more details at www.cheapflights.ca/news/suitcase-snapshot-a-survey-of-canadian-packing-habits.
About Cheapflights.ca, part of the Momondo Group
Momondo Group is an online travel media and technology company that is driven by the belief that an open world is a better world. The group now serves travel search and inspiration to over 17.5 million visitors a month -- plus 8 million travel newsletter subscribers -- via its Cheapflights (www.cheapflights.ca) and momondo (www.momondo.com) brands. Skygate began the sourcing of complex air-travel data in 1992, while Cheapflights pioneered the online comparison of flight deals for users in 1996 and momondo launched meta-search in the Nordic countries in 2006. The Group has offices in London, Copenhagen and Boston with a consumer base across more than 30 core international markets but users all over the world.
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