A Traveller’s miscellany

• Balloon therapy

Balloons can be good for the body as well as the spirit. Pack a durable, uninflated balloon with your travelling medicine kit and use it to make a cold or hot pack to soothe a sprain or muscle soreness when you’re away from home. Just fill the balloon with very cold water or hot water from the tap. Tie it off and lay it over the affected area. If you have a freezer and want to go the whole hog, make an icepack by freezing a partially water-filled balloon.

•  Chest rub for painful feet

If a day of sightseeing leaves you with pleasant memories but sore feet, rub a little medicated chest rub onto your feet before going to bed (put on a pair of socks to keep the rub from marking the sheets). Your feet will feel like new in the morning.

•  Pre-soaked insect repellants

You never know when insect-repellant spray might come in handy, but cans and bottles can take up a lot of room in a portable medicine kit. Leave bulky containers behind — before leaving home, soak cotton wool balls in insect repellant and store them in a self-sealing plastic bag. When insects make an appearance, just pull out a cotton wool ball and dab some of the protective liquid onto your skin.

•  A pill-bottle toothbrush protector

Have you ever opened your travel kit to find a toothbrush soaked in shaving cream? An easy and tidy way to keep up with dental hygiene on the road is to make a toothbrush-holder kit out of an old plastic pill bottle. Cut a slit in the lid and slide the lid over the handle of your toothbrush; then replace the lid so the bristles of the toothbrush are inside the container, where they will remain clean.