This Is Exactly How Much Underwear to Pack for a Trip, According to a Travel Expert

"I am not proud of it, but on a recent three day trip, I used an entire packing cube on 13 pairs of underwear. To no one's surprise, I used merely a third of what I packed. I'm hardly the only person to do this-on TikTok, there are dozens of videos discussing the very common phenomenon of overpacking underwear. The reason we do this-pack underwear as if we may never come home again or encounter a department store-is to make ourselves feel prepared for our journey."

""The ultimate hack you need to know when it comes to packing is that you need to pack three pairs of underwear more than the number of days of your holiday," Parker said. "That's the sweet spot! So if you're going away for five days, pack eight pairs." That's a pretty simple rule: just add the number of days of your trip plus three. "The extra three act as your safety net, without overpacking and stuffing your suitcase," Parker said."

Many travelers habitually overpack underwear to feel prepared and to guard against unexpected hygiene issues on the road. Small clothing items feel insignificant, which encourages packing excess pairs despite limited luggage space. A practical packing rule recommends bringing three more pairs of underwear than the number of travel days to provide a safety net without overstuffing suitcases. The additional three pairs cover unexpected swims, last-minute hikes, sweaty travel days, or delays and still limit excess. Social-media trends and personal anecdotes show this behavior is common and driven by comfort, control, and fear of running out of fresh underwear.

Read at Travel + Leisure