When you first start researching cloth diapers, or even using them, the thought of putting them on your child just to run daily errands may seem daunting. The idea of taking them along with you on a mini overnight vacation or especially a week long vacation may be more than you think you can handle… but you're wrong! Using cloth outside of your house is just as easy as using it everyday.
Below I'm covering the Frequently Asked Questions when it comes to Traveling With Cloth Diapers.
How Many Diapers Will I Need?
Obviously this will depend on how long you'll be away from your house – whether just for the day or 1 night or more. If you're doing a day trip, always pack 1 more diaper than you think you'll need in your bag. If you're staying overnight, I would plan to have enough diapers for 2 days and wash everyday or every other day so that you don't have to take so many diapers along, as cloth diapers do take up more space in luggage or the diaper bag than disposables do.
What Do I Do About Soiled Diapers?
You must, must, must get a wet bag for travel. A medium sized wet bag that holds 5-6 diapers would be plenty big enough for your diaper bag for daily trips, but a large wet bag or pail liner is great for overnight trips. I would also suggest using flushable disposable liners, a great example is the Imse Vimse liners, for when you're traveling. They are wonderful because if your child poops in the cloth diaper, you can simply flush the liner and the poop with no worries about storing a really dirty diaper in your wet bag for a day or 2!
How Will I Wash My Diapers?
Hopefully you're traveling somewhere {if you're going to be gone more than 2-3 days} where you will have a washing machine to wash your diapers. I love to get samples of detergents to take with me on trips so it takes up less space! I don't worry about really cleaning the washing machine before I wash diapers – it's an extra hassle and if there are true problems with build-up, I can strip them when I get home. If you're going somewhere without a washing machine, well, good luck! You could always use disposable inserts in your Hybrid Diapers or take enough diapers that you won't have to wash.
Traveling With Cloth On an Airplane vs Car
I've actually not flown anywhere since having the girls, so I don't really have any experience in this area. I would definitely recommend this post on the Doable Diapers blog. I've also heard that it may even be cheaper to ship your diapers to your destination – say you're visiting in-laws for a couple of weeks, rather than pay extra baggage fees and risk your diapers getting lost.
Cloth Wipes vs Disposable Wipes on the Go
Honestly, I prefer disposable wipes for when I'm away from home, but a lot of people use cloth wipes easily. If you use disposable wipes, be sure to throw your wipe away before putting your cloth diaper in the wash! If you want to use cloth wipes while traveling, I would suggest pre-wetting them OR keeping a small spray bottle in your diaper bag to spray each wipe as you use it.
What are the Best Diapers to Use When Traveling?
This is obviously an opinion-based question. When I'm out of the house, I usually take my Hook and Loop diapers because they're easier and faster for me to put on Moreaya. I take the diapers that I reach for in my stash first – the ones that I'm least likely to have leaks with. I prefer Pocket Diapers for when I'm traveling, but All-in-Twos would definitely take up much less space in your diaper bag or luggage. All-in-Two diapers often come with the option to purchase disposable inserts which may make some parents less apprehensive about using cloth diapers while traveling.
If you have any questions about Traveling With Cloth Diapers that you think should be added to these FAQs, be sure to let me know by emailing me or leaving a comment!
Posts on So Easy Being Green about Traveling With Cloth Diapers:
November 16, 2012 – The Best Cloth Diapers for the Stroller
Traveling with Cloth Diapers
Friday 30th of May 2014
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