Travel Essentials: pouches

Otis Batterbee men's pouch

Made of durable waxed canvas with a tough brass zip and waterproof lining, making it suitable even for transporting damp swimwear, this cool customer comes in manly gold, navy, pale blue and grey. One could easily rationalise acquiring them all, one in each colour, and working out some kind of colour-coding scheme for the contents. Or you could buy three in the same colour. 30cm x 20cm. £52 (Dh300), plus £13.95 (Dh81) p&p (00 44 207 627 8753; www.otisbatterbee.com).

Tusting Honeydon unisex pouch

This sturdy and somehow intensely enticing bag also comes in pale blue, but it's the Hermès-orange version that makes our hearts beat faster. Made of cow-hide leather, with a zipped inner pocket, it is both beautiful and useful - and better than that you cannot get. The peak of pouch perfection, we say, although the lining isn't waterproof, which indicates its status as guardian of the silk scarf in your carry-on, or a bracelet or watch for which you don't have a proper case. 27cm x 15cm. £83 (Dh479), plus £55 (Dh318) p&p (www.tusting.co.uk; 00 44 1234 712 266).

Asos multi-zip tasselled pouch

This is actually marketed as a clutch, but as it's made of polyurethane, with a polyester lining, we think its proper station in life is at a somewhat humbler level, although we concede it could rise from pouch to bag on the beach. But you can't deny it has a sweet appeal - the kind of item you didn't know you wanted until you saw it, eh? In nude, 29cm x 20cm. £30 (Dh173), with free delivery worldwide (www.asos.com).