London - Packing a suitcase for a holiday abroad often comes with making sacrifices. However, it seems many holidaymakers are willing to leave necessities at home in favour of more unusual items.
Pictures of dead cats, a set of dumbbells and a loved one’s ashes are among the top 10 strangest items travellers admit to carrying in their luggage, according to a survey.
Nearly 60 percent of the 2 011 Brits questioned said they struggled to fit everything inside a holiday suitcase on a trip abroad in the past 12 months.
And 44 percent of people said, unsurprisingly, that they would pack more clothes if they had more room in their luggage.
But when asked, “Is there anything you take on holiday with you that others would probably regard as unusual?”, it seems holidaymakers are willing to make space for the strangest of items, and strange they are too.
Based on the responses, UK-based baggage delivery company sendmybag.com – which carried out the study – has released a list of the top 10 strangest items holidaymakers pack in their suitcases.
More unusual items include a wall clock, which the pensioner liked to fall asleep while listening to; a set of dumbbells; a husband’s ashes in an urn; and a bag containing sheared sheep’s wool.
Another holidaymaker admitted to carrying 15 “lucky rabbit’s feet” in his suitcase, while a man from Cambridge packed whips and chains into his suitcase, so he and his wife could maintain their “exotic” sex life while abroad.
Spokesman Adam Ewart said: “We’re probably all familiar with the nightmare of deciding what to pack when going on holiday.
“Trying to cram everything into one suitcase can be a real pain and you have to choose the essentials from the luxuries.
“Most of the time, sitting on the suitcase for five minutes in an attempt to close the lid just doesn’t cut the mustard!
“Some of the things that have appeared on the list of items are unusual to say the least.
The majority of them also seem to be fairly bulky. Just what do you sacrifice to squeeze in a set of dumbbells?
Maybe that person should look at taking a break from the weights, or a holiday you might say.” – Daily Mail
Top 10 strangest items found in luggage...
1 Framed pictures of dead cats: A woman in her 40s from Sheffield took the pictures abroad as she regarded them as “part of the family” and liked to put them up in her room.
2 A wall clock: A pensioner from Devon liked to fall asleep to the sound of her ticking clock, so always packed it in her suitcase despite it having a diameter of half a metre.
3 A set of dumbbells: A man from Leeds wouldn’t go anywhere without a set of dumbbells to supplement his morning workout.
4 Husband’s ashes: A widow said she took them everywhere to keep her late husband close.
5 24 multi-pack of Walker’s Worcester sauce crisps: A man from Hereford was obsessed with the flavour and ate at least two packets a day.
6 A plastic carrier bag full of sheared sheep’s wool: A woman from Leicestershire said she “finds the texture comforting’ so keeps some close to hand at all times.
7 Bondage whips and chains: A man from Cambridge said he and his wife had an “exotic sex life”, which they maintained even on holiday.
8 A fire extinguisher: A man from Derby with extreme pyrophobia always packed one in the event of emergency for peace of mind.
9 A stuffed hamster: A woman in her 20s from Taunton said she took her late pet with her wherever she went.
10 Approximately 15 “lucky rabbit’s feet”: A man from Liverpool with a fear of flying took the feet with him as good luck charms.
Over packed
For obvious reasons, these Durbanites preferred not to give their surnames.
Liam: I always travel with my teddy bear, Lambie, which my mother gave to me when I was a kid.
Jeff: I once travelled to Joburg with an ECG machine as hand luggage as I was going to work as a medic. Airport staff were not happy.
Rebecca: Friends and I flew to a hen party in Gauteng with a penis-shaped cake and a pair of handcuffs. They confiscated the cuffs.
Frank: I flew back from New York with a set of Le Crueset pots bought on a Macy’s sale, and from London with a whole round of Stilton. - Sunday Tribune