You just finished loading your suitcase and are going through your checklist one last time. Shirts? Check. Pants? Check. Expedited passport? Check.
Underwear? Check — but let’s add a few more pairs in case the unthinkable happens, right? The 333 packing rule — or packing three tops, three bottoms, and three pairs of shoes — surely doesn’t apply here.
If this sounds familiar, you’re in good company. Social media users often joke about how many pairs they throw in their already stuffed suitcases, racking up thousands of likes and affirming comments.
But why are some of us so convinced that we will, uh, dirty our underwear? Or somehow need multiple emergency options? Is 14 pairs of underwear necessary for a weeklong trip?
Ahead, experts explain the psychology behind this packing habit and and if it’s actually helpful:
Underwear “protects” a vulnerable part of our bodies and is a staple for many people. It can bring a sense of comfort and familiarity that’s helpful, especially in situations that can be new.
“Many people may associate underwear with security as it’s been a daily staple from birth — first diapers and then underwear,” said Gabrielle Schreyer-Hoffman, a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Upper East Side Psychology in New York. “These items offer a sense of comfort and routine.”
Compared to a bulky, cozy sweatshirt, more underwear can easily be stuffed in a suitcase. So why not, you know?
“One of the likely reasons that we pack more underwear than we’ll need for a trip is simply because we can!” said Penelope Bielckus, a full-time travel blogger and chronic overpacker of underwear. “It’s the easiest ‘just in case’ overpacking you can do — it takes up minimal space, and the upside is far better than the downside.”
Therapist Whitney Coleman, an avid traveler who is a self-proclaimed overpacker, said the same. “Underwear takes up almost no space or weight in our luggage compared to other items,” she said. “With something so small and light, it’s easy to pack extra.”
Underwear is something many of us like to change regularly, and many scenarios call for a fresh pair. Coleman lists going swimming, getting sick and extending the trip as examples.
“For those of us who have been sick while traveling (and have had to go through an unfortunate quantity of underwear due to that), it’s definitely a ‘but what if it happens again’ packing quirk,” Bielckus noted.
Packing essentials for a trip can be stressful, especially for those of us who worry we’ll forget something at home. Sure, we can just run into a convenience store at the destination, but it’s not really, well, convenient.
“We fear running out of essentials and having to buy more,” Coleman said. “You can easily buy soap or toothpaste at a drugstore, but who wants to go shopping for more underwear while on a trip?”
And while wearing the same bra or shirt two days in a row is socially acceptable, you may feel gross about wearing the same pair of underwear twice.
“Many people will rewear clothes more than once without washing them, especially on a trip,” Coleman said. “No one wants to wash underwear while on a trip, and no one wants to rewear dirty underwear, so it becomes a convenience to have extra just in case.”
Overall, no. Some of us are actually more prone to this habit. Coleman lists parents or caregivers, as well as people who are overthinkers, those who have experienced emergencies on prior trips, or who are highly organised and detail-oriented.
“This could tie into personality traits or individual history,” said William Schroeder co-owner of Just Mind Counselling. “I know some travellers who travel with two pairs of underwear and wash them regularly. They embrace uncertainty and prefer to travel light … Others who present as being more anxious or neurotic may prefer the safety of knowing there is no way they will run out.”
People with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or sensitive stomachs may pack more as a precaution, too, Schreyer-Hoffman said.
Bielckus also noted that worriers are typically overpackers. She totally gets the reasoning, and she wants to clarify that this doesn’t mean that dreaded accident will happen.
“Do we usually have an ‘accident’ and ruin our underwear when we travel? No,” she said. “Is there always a slight ‘but what if…’ in the back of our minds anyway, meaning we pack eight pairs of underwear for a long weekend? Yes, yes there is.”
Ultimately, do what feels best for you. “As a therapist, I would just suggest doing what feels comfortable for each person,” Schroder said, “and noticing what was helpful and what was not.”
