A recent study of the packing habits of British holiday makers has revealed that most males departing on seven days away from home will only bother to pack three pairs of underpants. The survey was conducted by travel agent sunshine.co.uk and polled 1,294 people who had been on holiday for at least one week in the past year.

Of the women who responded to the questionnaire most prepared for a week-long trip by packing 10 items of underwear.

Of the men who replied that they did not take enough pants for a daily change, 37 per cent said it was because they expected to be spending most of the holiday in a pair of swimming trunks and 12 per cent said they intended to do some clothes washing while away.

According to the study, men wear 98 per cent of the clothing they pack in their suitcases. This was compared to only 61 per cent of packed items being worn by women. However, 47 per cent of women said they bought items on clothing while away on holiday compared to just seven per cent of men claiming to do the same.

The survey also asked about excess luggage with a third admitting they had exceeded allowances either leaving the country or returning to the UK. Most of this number were women. Co-founder of sunshine.co.uk, Chris Brown, said the research had shown just how different the packing habits of men and women are. He added that men seem to favour a minimal approach and women are more likely to over-pack.