Traveling with cloth diapers

[beatgenxer]

Anyone have any tips/secrets?

We're visiting my sis and her family for four or five days at xmas. We use a diaper service so I don't normally wash my diapers. I was thinking about double-bagging garbage bags with an air freshener in between bags to store the dirties. But I'd have to bring at least five dozen diapers which doesn't sound very practical. But we're driving eight hours so I don't want use 'sposies because LO will be so uncomfortable.

[Abraisme]

I think this is a time where I would use sposies.. I know that's not what you're looking for, but sometimes there really are advantages. There are several all natural disposable diapers for sale these days, there's even a biodegradable brand that Target sells. I've used them for several months with my DD and they work great.

[Swandira]

I've only ever traveled with pocket diapers, which are more compact than prefolds. I tend to wash every other day. I bring an extra-large wet bag and store the dirties there until I need to wash them. Honestly, though, I often travel with sposies (I like Seventh Generation brand) if I'm going to be gone long enough that I'd need to wash diapers.

Nealy
mama to Thales (12/02), Lydia (2/06), and Odin (12/12/08)

[red and lulu]

Originally Posted by Abraisme

I think this is a time where I would use sposies..

I agree. Hybrids are a nice compromise: I use g diapers when we're on the road-- the insert is flushable or you can toss it and it'll biodegrade since it's plastic free. You could always just buy a package of the g diaper flushable inserts (they're around $13 for 40) and use them in your regular covers...

[sugarpop]

Sophia was born 9/20 and is breastfed, I am not saying her diapers smell like roses but they aren't stinky really either. I too use a diaper service. They sit for a week in a bag in the nursery, a trash bag in a normal trash container with a deodorant thingy...nothing special and no smell.

Now that said, I have traveled to my moms for 4 days. I packed 35 diapers, almost ran out, but I wasn't planning on staying that long. I kept a grocery bag in the bathroom, no air freshner, and each time I changed her it went in the bag. I had several bags tied up as I went. I have a super strong nose and can be bothered by odors easily. That said, I hate sposies, I all but refuse to use them unless it is b/c I can't get rid of a diaper rash, travel for me is no reason to use the sposies. When it is time to leave I throw them in my trunk in a larger bag and have no problems!

I think your plan of double bagging and using a deodorizer will more than take care of it! Go for it. If it doesn't bother you to travel with the quantity. I used a backpack and a diaper bag and just loaded them with my diapering needs. I go for 3 days at a time regularly and don't think twice about it!

[Carlin]

We are going to my MIL for 10 days over Christmas and I'm planning to bring my dipes. I'm going to bring my own detergent too and wash them a couple times while I'm there. Would your SIL let you wash diapers at her place?

[newmomrose]

I have traveled with cloth many times. It's totally doable, but for 5 days you might want to consider doing a load of wash halfway through, that way you'd only have to pack half as many dipes, and to keep the older ones from getting too stinky. Washing diapers is no big deal, just use a mild detergent, less than you would normally use, and do an extra rinse cycle. If you run into any trouble, you can always buy disposables, but you probably won't need to. Have fun!

[cristeen]

Honestly, if you're with a dipe service, and you'll have enough dipes on hand to get through that time frame, I wouldn't even question it.

Pack one bag just for dipes. Put everything in there you'll need... covers, wipes, snappis, wet bags, etc. If you'll have access to a machine, pack laundry soap as well (in a baggie). If you use wool, lanolize right before you leave. I have some clothespin hangers that are just a hook with a clothespin on them - they're great for drying covers without taking up a lot of space, and they'll hook on anything.

Another alternative is to find out if there's a diaper service near where you'll be staying, and see if you can get 1 weeks worth of service from them so you have dipes waiting for you when you get there, and you can leave them when you go. That way you only have to pack enough for the drive.

[mamadelbosque]

We use bumgenius exclusively and travel with them regularly. I just wash while we're there, bringing our own detergent... Actually, I usually take advantage of unlimited water (we have limited water...) and strip them while we're there... which also serves to make me not worry about whatever crap they use in their washing machine

[Everrgreen]

I've travelled quite a bit and always take my cloth diapers with me. And I wash every few days just as I do at home (I've never travelled somewhere that didn't have laundry facilities).

[Mal85]

We've traveled a few times with DD and we've just gone the sposie route when we're traveling. There are biodegradable diapers out there you can get or try the g-diapers.

I've just found that with a baby, there is soooooo much stuff we have to pack compared to before we had her. Our car is full every time we leave town even if just for a weekend. The diapers are just another hassle on top of everything else we have to take. It would be a bag just for the diapers and accessories and another bag for dirty dipes, and I'm kind of grossed out by dealing with that many dirty diapers in the car.

[seafox]

If we go more than 2-3 days we are likely travelling somewhere w/ laundry, so we just wash our cloth there. We just do wool and prefolds, so pretty easy to pack and bring.

we one time ended up staying longer than planned (was supposed to be two days, not 6, my dad was sick, etc) and didn't bring that many dipes, and used our emergency sposies for a day, since washing 10 dipes seemed silly, and DS got the *worst* diaper rash so we stopped. Even though it felt silly to be washing 10 diapers at a time every day I did it anyway for the rest of the time we were there.

[sunshynbaby]

I always use sposies on the road. I don't like lugging around dirty diapers or taking time out of my vacation to do laundry

[springbride]

We have traveled with cloth 4 times now. It's totally doable, and really easy. Also, it's fun to be able to educate the skeptics in the family on how easy cloth is! I alway bring an extra wet bag, because I end up procrastinating on when to wash, that way the bag isn't overflowing release stink.

[Kelly1101]

I'd say just wash them. It's easy Grab some detergent that is free of crap (brighteners, fabric softeners, etc etc), and just wash them every couple of days until you get home. It's not really as hard as it may seem-- I know a lot of people swear by a complex rinse/add this-and-that/wash/rinse method, but especially since you're just going to be doing it once or twice, just throw 'em in like a regular load of laundry. It won't mess up the machine at all.

[beatgenxer]

Thanks everyone for chiming in!

Another big negative against 'sposies is that my LO is prone to diaper rash but it sounds like plenty of you have traveled with cloth before and it's not so bad.

[onyxravnos]

Originally Posted by Gillian28

I've travelled quite a bit and always take my cloth diapers with me. And I wash every few days just as I do at home (I've never travelled somewhere that didn't have laundry facilities).

same with me. i just pack up about a day and a halfs worth and do diapers in the laundry. i store them in a med sized bummies diaper bag but i've totally used plastic bags. (even taking them to a laundry mat worked out cheaper when i did the math)

[JMJ]

We always travel with cloth, and it hasn't been a big deal. Bring an extra wet bag or 2 for on the plane. It takes longer than a typical outing. DD has a habit of going as soon as I'm no longer allowed to get out of my seat on planes.

At our destination, we keep a hanging diaper bag in our room when we're at somebody's house, or borrow a bucket for a wet pail. As some other moms have said, BRING YOUR OWN DETERGENT, especially since you say your LO has a sensitive tush. Vacation is no time for an allergic reaction to somebody else's detergent. Bring extra in case you have to do laundry more times than you expected. I'm comfortable throwing a few diapers in with a regular load if I wash them by hand decently well first.

For coming home with dirties, I make sure to rinse out poopies pretty well before packing. If weight is an issue, dry diapers are lighter, so consider doing laundry close to when you leave.

[sunnygir1]

Yeah.

Bring some good detergent and wash them yourself. I just use plastic grocery bags for storage until I wash.

I've always traveled with cloth. Disposable diapers creep me out and give my lo a rash, even the "natural" and "biodegradable" ones.

Here's how I wash:
Rinse on cold water, no detergent.
Wash on hot/cold with detergent.
Rinse on cold water (I toss a little white vinegar in the last rinse, but you don't have to.)

Good luck.

[annettemarie]

Moving to the Diapering forum