Dad Hats and Kinky Kindles - What's in Your Holiday Suitcase?

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Aug 22, 2012, 02:18 ET

CHESTER, England, August 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Four in ten men embarrass their families by packing the dreaded 'holiday hat'
Women more likely to indulge in holiday reading
One third won't pack sun protection
Men's suitcases more valuable than women's, says MoneySupermarket

Brits travelling abroad on holiday will pack their suitcases to the brim with £32 billion worth of belongings. MoneySupermarket.com unzipped the luggage to see what Brits are packing for their getaways^[1].

Research from the UK's number one comparison site found that while British men may be packing gadgets galore, many are packing more traditional holiday essentials. British men will keep cool in the shade by sporting an embarrassing 'holiday hat' also known as a 'dad hat'; with four in ten men (41 per cent) admitting to packing headwear for their travels. Delve into women's suitcases, however, and you're more likely to find essential holiday reading material - with just over seven out of ten women (74 per cent) intending to indulge in some quality time with a book or a Kindle while away.

When asked about sun cream, the research found a third of brazen Brits (34 per cent) won't pack any at all - rising to half of all Londoners (50 per cent). However, of those that do pack sun cream, Londoners will spend an average £45 each staying safe in the sun - twice the national average.
The research also asked British holidaymakers to think about the value of items they pack for one week away - and what the total cost of their luggage is. The research revealed the average value of a suitcase and hand luggage combined is likely to be more for men than for women - £1,461 compared to £1,417.

Bob Atkinson, travel expert at TravelSupermarket said: "People like to be entertained even while lying in the sun when they're on holiday and the contents of their suitcases clearly reflect this. For some it's about updating Facebook on your mobile or tablet to brag to friends stuck at home, others like catching up on popular reads such as Fifty Shades of Grey on a Kindle. For others, it seems to be about spending time turning fifty shades of red from too much unprotected sun bathing! -. No matter what you pack for your holiday you should make sure you have a high enough level of travel insurance cover for your belongings as most of us are jetting off with almost £1,500 worth of belongings for a week away.

"When taking out a travel insurance policy ensure your possessions are covered to an adequate level. You need to bear in mind any single item limits that might apply and whether anything you intend to take with you exceeds that level. Especially watch out for items such as mobile phones, cameras, jewellery and designer clothing, all of which could easily exceed lower limits.

"Those taking the decision to brave holiday weather without sun screen in their luggage really should think again, or ensure they buy adequate sun lotion on arrival. Not only are there health implications from not wearing sun protection but you could end up needing to stay out of the sun or even in hospital because of over exposure. Something I'm sure isn't top of people's agendas for their time away on holiday."

MoneySupermarket.com recommends at least the following level of insurance cover:

£2m for medical expenses
£1m personal liability
£3000 cancellation - or enough to cover the total cost of your holiday
£1500 baggage
£250 for cash
Policy excesses under £100 Cover for scheduled airline failure and end supplier failure as desirable
Delay cover (e.g. £20/hour for first 12 hours).

Notes to Editors:

^[1] Opinium Research carried out an online poll of 2,012 UK adults from 24^th - 27^th July 2012. Results have been weighted to nationally representative criteria.
The following calculations are based on the 2010 ONS population projects for 2012 there are 49,969,000 UK adults aged 18 and over.
Based on research 45% have taken a holiday abroad within the past 12 months. 45% x 49,969,000 = 22,486,050 (22.5 million).
Respondents who had taken a holiday abroad on average packed £1,440 in their suitcase and hand luggage. £1,440 x 22,486,050 = £32,379,840 (£32 billion)

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