Carrying a Neti Pot on a trip or any place away from home can be cumbersome but rinsing your nasal passages may be necessary because of allergies, colds or sinus problems. Packing something smaller, such as a Nasaline Nasal Rinser, a syringe system, may be the solution.

I recently toted a Nasaline syringe when I went on a bike touring trip in Idaho-Canada-Washington. At first, I was reluctant to give up my Neti Pot or Grossan Hydro Pulse rinsing system that I use at home. I worried that a syringe wouldn’t do an effective job and leave me vulnerable to more allergy problems or even a sinus infection.

To allay my concerns, I gave the syringe a trial run for several days at home. The syringe came with ten premeasured packets of salt but I kept those in reserve for traveling and simply mixed up a batch of my regular rinsing solution (two cups of warm water, 1 tsp. of salt, ¼ tsp. of baking soda). The syringe, which comes equipped with a silicone nose piece, worked like a charm, and I was convinced that it would work well on a trip or for regular daily use.

The syringe in its long, slender storage case, along with salt and baking soda in a Ziploc baggie, easily packed into my bike bag. I used the syringe morning and evening following this procedure:

•Fill a container with two cups of warm water directly from the tap. Or use a microwave if one is handy. The water should be warm not lukewarm or tepid.
•Mix in until dissolved 1 tsp. of salt and ¼ tsp. of baking soda, or two packets of Nasaline salt.
•Put the silicone tip into the container with saline solution and pull on the plunger to fill the syringe.
•Stand slightly bent over a bathroom sink. Put the tip of the syringe against the nose so that it completely seals the nostril.
•Breathe through the mouth and slowly push the saline solution up the nostril. Repeat with the other nostril. Use two full syringes for each nostril.
•Use a tissue to blow out any remaining saline solution.

I paid $17.95 for my Nasaline Nasal Rinser which is a tad expensive considering the manufacturer recommends replacing it every four months. For me, its biggest selling point was its small size, a great advantage for traveling. Another plus: the plunger allows you to control the speed at which the saline solution flows into your nasal passages.