Swaine Adeney Brigg Zip-round Leather Wet Pack
Handmade in Cambridge, England, by a workforce who have been stitching away since the 1750s, Swaine Adeney Brigg's leather travel- and equestrian-related goods are favourites among wealthy UAE families, who see the company's St James's Street shop in London as a mandatory summer drop-in. The company will custom-make, so off-the-shelf items such as this are just a starting point. Made of fine calf leather, light but fairly tough (ages beautifully, too), 25 x 14x 15cm, this rigid zip-round wet pack has an interior strap for toothbrush and razor, and costs £205, plus £15 shipping (Dh1,283) (www.swaineadeney.co.uk; 00 44 207 409 7277).
Daines and Hathaway Explorer
Classically styled, this manly wash bag made of tough leather with a zipped side pocket and the necessary waterproof lining also comes from a venerable English company. This one was set up in the 1920s, though, which is possibly why prices seem so reasonable compared to those of its competitors. Costs £111 (Dh648) from the Gift Library, a useful department-store-like website that mails worldwide for a charge of £20 (Dh117). To order visit www.gift-library.com.
Otis Batterbee medium Grand Tour wash bag
Travel accessories designer Otis Batterbee honed his skills at Louis Vuitton in Paris, then set out on his own in 2008. Like so many designers now, he sells more online than in-store. Multiples of his "hero" product, a Prince of Wales check, lavender-scented eye mask, are always winging their way to the UAE, he reports, and these cotton sanded canvas wash bags similarly combine covetable luxury looks with practicality - they're sturdy but light, a neat 30 x 26 x 10cm, with a waterproof lining and six interior pockets, and well-priced, too. £43 (Dh250) plus £12 (Dh64) for shipping (www.otisbatterbee.com; 00 44 20 7372 4453).
