Words: Jonathan Wells
The wonders of the wash bag are endless. If you’re feeling jet lagged, you can pop out an aspirin. If it’s sunburn bothering you, reach for the moisturiser. Or, if you’re simply feeling a little ruffled after days of delays and connections, there’s always a run of your comb and a spritz of your aftershave.
Because, from high altitude to hangovers, there are few travelling setbacks that can’t be solved by the contents of a well-stocked wash bag. That’s why it pays to invest in the best. So, whether you’re looking for a travel-sized companion, or a multi-pocketed, multi-faceted wellness toolkit, we’ve found five of the finest options on sale this year…
Ettinger ‘Capra’ Wash Bag
What’s it made from? Goat leather. Back in the 1930s, brand founder Gerard Ettinger used the durable, trendy textile to craft a collection of travel accessories. Today, it handsomely harks back to this ‘Golden Age of Travel’.
Best feature? Aside from the leather itself (which, infused as it is with lanolin, is naturally waterproof), we’d opt for that extra external pocket. It’s a simple slip, but comes in mighty handy when you don’t have time to rifle past your razor for important pills or your contact lenses.
Where should you take it? With a dirt-deterring, hardwearing construction, this grainy wash bag is up for adventure. So why not follow in the hoofsteps of those goats — which you’ll find bounding around the mountains of Morocco?
Aspinal of London Nylon Wash Bag
What’s it made from? Aspinal may be renowned for its leather work, but this wash bag only uses the well-tanned stuff for trims and detailing. The body of the bag is stitched together from durable, lightweight, tight-weave nylon.
Best feature? Like Ettinger’s wash bag above, this Aspinal option also has plenty of pockets — but we’d have to say its most useful feature is that ergonomic leather loop handle; large enough to hook over even the chunkiest radiator or shower rail.
Where should you take it? Somewhere by the sea. Whether you jet off to an island escape in the Indian Ocean or just barrel down to Brighton for a weekend, that no-nonsense nylon will stand up to even the saltiest sea spray.
Bennett Winch Canvas Wash Bag
What’s it made from? It may be lined in waterproof Italian nylon, but Bennett Winch’s military-minded wash bag is the best of British; featuring a khaki-coloured shell cut from robust British-dyed bonded cotton canvas.
Best feature? Beyond that burnished brass zip, you’ll find a wealth of practical touches. But by far the best is an internal clip-out ‘wet compartment’, allowing you to dependably, dryly store razors or beard clippers out of harm’s way.
Where should you take it? Into the wild. We don’t know if it’s the tanned full-grain leather handles, the twin birds embroidered on its side or the almost camouflage-y colour, but there’s something of a safari about the Bennett Winch wash bag.
Mulberry Double Zip Wash Bag
What’s it made from? Perhaps the most pioneering material on our list; ‘Eco Scotchgrain’. An innovation of the British brand, this durable leather-like fabric is made from recombined bio-plastic materials and cereal waste.
Best feature? It’s another wash bag with a handy loop, and an exterior slip pocket. But the double zip is the design masterstroke here. To avoid any blind rummaging, simply zip back both sides — and you’ll spy your shampoo in seconds.
Where should you take it? On a highfalutin city break. Few wash bags wear their extravagant, luxury credentials quite as well as Mulberry’s — so unpack it somewhere it’ll feel at five-star, first-class home; whether Paris or Portofino.
Smythson Double Zip ‘Panama’ Wash Bag
What’s it made from? Crossgrain calf leather — with a lining of oil-resistant, satin-finish fabric. But it’s that leather that really looks the part; grained and stained a bold blue colour Smythson calls ‘Lapis’ (named for a vibrant semi-precious stone).
Best feature? Those two separate zip compartments. Whilst most wash bags would have you throw your toothpaste in with your eye cream, Smythson’s design offers you the chance to segment your lotions and liniments into their distinct grooming groups.
Where should you take it? The leather may only take its name from the Central American nation — ‘Panama’ being a lightly drummed effect given to the textile’s surface — but we can think of worse destinations than the beaches of San Blas, under ‘Lapis’ blue skies.
Want more grooming tips? Here are six simple ways to upgrade your spring grooming routine…
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