Key facts:
- Toothbrush is the #1 most forgotten item with 18% of respondents.
- Men are less forgetful than women -- at least, according to how they responded.
- The least forgotten thing is food; with men being more forgetful of food compared to women.
- Younger travelers forget socks and phone chargers most often.
Travel Sized Personal Care Items are Among The Most Forgotten
Have you ever forgotten your toothbrush or your toothpaste when you went on a trip… only to either make that embarrassing call to the front desk, or overpaying for one at the hotel convenience store? According to a 2017 survey conducted by the e-commerce store of travel sizes, Minimus.biz, those were the items most forgotten by the US-based travelers surveyed. The survey, done across the U.S., also revealed that habits differed by sex and by age, with other top items forgotten being: clothes and shoes, toiletry items, hair appliances and products, eyewear, and medicine.
Findings of the survey
While a number of respondents said they did not forget to pack anything, a majority had at least forgotten to pack one or more things. Some of the main survey findings include:
- Men are less forgetful than women… at least, according to how they responded
- People aged between 35 and 44 are more forgetful than other age groups.
- People aged above 65 years old forgot their medication more than other ages.
- The most forgotten items are the toothbrushes and toothpaste; with women as the more forgetful of these two as compared to men.
- The least forgotten thing is food; with men being more forgetful of food compared to women.
- The younger age groups of 18-34 years of age are more mindful than the older generation.
- Men are more forgetful of personal care products than women.
- Women are more forgetful of electronic gadgets (such as chargers) than men.
Do Older People Forget More Things When Traveling?
There was no single “shampoo” answer that came from the 18-24 age group. Most of the people that forgot their razor were 45 to 54 years old. When comparing the age range of 18-24, to that of 45-54, the biggest difference is that the younger group forgot socks and phone chargers much more than the older group. While these are the items most forgotten by the age groups, it can also be assumed that certain products are more important or more remembered as being important by certain age groups.
Mindful Travelers
Several respondents claimed to never forget anything -- 18% of them. It is interesting to note that 13% more men responded that they don’t forget anything, compared to women. Perhaps there is an element of survey bias. Are men really more organized? Or, perhaps they just don’t want to admit to forgetting things, or are forgetful of what they forgot.
Forgetfulness: Men vs. Women
Women seem to forget shampoo, hair appliances, and deodorant more than men. And men forget their razor and food more than women. Again, these are how the respondents answered which means that is what they considered most important of what they forgot, and what they remembered that they forgot, so there is an inherent bias in the survey.
Conclusions
No matter your age or sex, odds are you are going to forget something… whether you admit to it or not. Thus, it is best to prepare in advance, and to utilize a good packing list. Knowing what people forget the most can be a helpful guide in at least paying attention to those things… so you won’t have to make that call to the front desk or overpay for toiletries.