How do you CD at a festival?

[Linzie2]

Or don't you?

We're going to be heading out to a weekend long music fest this summer (can't wait! ). Just wondering if anyone has done the CD thing while out at a festy.

It's so depressing to see the mounds of garbage when you're leaving a festival like that. We'd really like to contribute the least amount possible!

[Ianthe]

I personally don't CD when we do stuff like that.. but I guess you could maybe bring supplies for washing them while at the festival.. a couple buckets, biodegradable soap and a plunger for agitation, plus some string and clothes pins for hanging them up.

I'd hate to have weeklong dirty diapers to transport so that's what I'd do, if I still wanted to CD during that time.

[TaraRae82]

What about something like G Dipes for that week? Then you're getting the best of both worlds?

[samikashi]

We do cloth diaper at festivals. The only issue during summer is the heat inducing smell.. So I'd recommend you bring your best wet bag and maybe wrap the diapes in plastic bags before placing them in there.

Assuming you will be staying somewhere overnight with running water, you could rinse the smell out. And this is probably obvious but do bring enough for the whole weekend.

[woodchick]

Yeah, we've done cloth at a weekend festival. And we camped out as well. I just made sure to shake the dirty ones off into a port-a-potty and keep them contained in a wetbag (and I kept the wetbag inside a plastic bag.

As long as you have enough to get you through the weekend you'll be fine. Hope you have fun!

[sunnygir1]

Depending on how far from a town you are, you could hit the laundromat half way through the week. I CD when I'm traveling and camping, but I haven't done a week with no laundry yet...I'm not sure I have that many diapers.

[woodchick]

Originally Posted by sunnygir1

Depending on how far from a town you are, you could hit the laundromat half way through the week. I CD when I'm traveling and camping, but I haven't done a week with no laundry yet...I'm not sure I have that many diapers.

Just wanted to jump in and note this:

the OP has said that it is a Weekend festival- not a Week-long festival.

I think that is causing conflicting responses in this thread.

[sapphire_chan]

Use something that dries quickly like flats or prefolds. And sort out pee-only diapers so you can just rinse those out with a bit of vinegar water or even just let them air out. IME, poopy diapers don't handwash well at all, but maybe boiling them would do the trick.

Oh, weekend long. Yeah, just bring a large wet bag and you're good to go.

Diapers you use in a day x 2 + 3 diapers

[HeatherB]

I've always used cloth while traveling. A weekend sounds easy to me! Assuming you have enough dipes (certainly could be the issue!), I'd make sure they're all freshly washed when you walk out the door (can be tricky, but I try to leave the least at home, used, that I need to). I take two wet bags and double-bag the wet diapers. If you can rinse them out and scrape off dirty dipes, that will definitely help with the smell. But having the two layers of enclosure helps alot - even when they're in the car on the drive home!

It's totally do-able. Since it's in the summer, I'd just make sure you collect enough dipes (an extra dozen prefolds is pretty cheap) to get you through, and then go and have fun! It really is wonderful to leave somewhere and know you've left behind no yucky dipes!

[slsurface]

Originally Posted by sunnygir1

Depending on how far from a town you are, you could hit the laundromat half way through the week. I CD when I'm traveling and camping, but I haven't done a week with no laundry yet...I'm not sure I have that many diapers.

Ditto. We travel/camp with CDs all the time, but we usually go to a laundry after 2-3days.

[sugareemoma]

When I took my DD to her first festie when she was 10 mo we CD'd. We also do elimination communication so she only pooped one diaper all weekend, the rest of the time she pooped on the grass and I picked it up like dog poo. No one thought it was gross or was offended and I would have been to scared she would 'fall in' if I tried to poop her in a porta potty! For the pee dipes I would hang them in the sun to dry, the sunlight kills bacteria so when I put them in a bag they didn't develop an ammonia smell form urease breaking down the urine. For the one poopy diaper I just washed it by hand and some Dr. Bronors and then poured some TTO on it to dry.
Mad props to the tour mammas out there if there are any! One weekend was rough enough with a LO but when she stops using dipes and I have more free time I think my DD will make a fine tour kid:

[Birdie B.]

Great question! Our daughter's first festie is coming up in March, and I hadn't even thought about using cloth. Now I'm totally stoked to do it! :

[*Jessica*]

Originally Posted by Linzie2

Or don't you?

We're going to be heading out to a weekend long music fest this summer (can't wait! ). Just wondering if anyone has done the CD thing while out at a festy.

It's so depressing to see the mounds of garbage when you're leaving a festival like that. We'd really like to contribute the least amount possible!

Oooh, are you going to the Heron? We haven't been in years because we didn't want to go with kids. The boys are big enough now that I think it would be fun to go. I would guess that there are quite a few families using cloth there, assuming it is the GBH you're going to. Have fun!

[Linzie2]

Originally Posted by *Jessica*

Oooh, are you going to the Heron? We haven't been in years because we didn't want to go with kids. The boys are big enough now that I think it would be fun to go. I would guess that there are quite a few families using cloth there, assuming it is the GBH you're going to. Have fun!

the Heron? Tell me more!

We're going to the Grassroots festival in Ithaca, check it out!

[kriket]

back when bonnaroo was cool I had friends that would EC just for the festival. Its the perfect time to get started, you are doing a bunch of nothing, you're outside all day, and its not like anyone cares, they are all to busy trying to eat the clouds.

[*Jessica*]

Originally Posted by Linzie2

the Heron? Tell me more!

We're going to the Grassroots festival in Ithaca, check it out!

The Great Blue Heron Music Festival It's in Sherman, NY (in Chautauqua County) and it's soooo much fun! And it looks like Rusted Root will be there this year! :

[kriket]

Originally Posted by *Jessica*

And it looks like Rusted Root will be there this year! :

swoon! I love rusted root! Lucky mama!

[sugareemoma]

I was just wondering if there were any mamas on this board that tour with their kids? I miss lot life and seriously wish I could do it again!

[flowers]

We've done both and truth be told it felt *so* good when we cd'd. We just brought a trash bag for used ones but that was before ecing. Now I think we could get through the weekend with less than 6-8 pee dipes.

Even if you have never ec'd I would try to pee them before putting a clean dipe on them. Just hold them, back to your belly with their legs up and say psssss. This is how I started ecing, just trying before a clean diaper and to my amazement 7 out of 10 times it worked! One less wet diaper to carry home!

[weliveintheforest]

I always find ec works extra well in these situations, and just bring a large wetbag (the pail liner size), or two medium sized ones. Two is nice so you can keep the first one closed once it gets stinky.