Cloth Diapering On the Go
There’s a question we get pretty often here at Blueberry:
“How do I deal with cloth diapers when I’m out of the house? And not just at the park - what about camping trips, week-long vacations, or airplane rides?”
Cloth diapers aren’t just great to use all day and night long… you can absolutely take them on the road too! And yes, it can be simple, discrete, and stress-free.
Whether you're headed out for a day, weekend, even a week-long trip, you can bring your cloth diapers along for the ride with just a few basic supplies and prep steps.
Take your cloth diapers on… a day trip
Dump out your diaper bag, and get rid of all those crumpled receipts, gum wrappers, and empty tubes of lipstick. Give it a few good shakes in case there are crumbs or dirt hiding in the corners.
Pack your bag up with just the necessities:
- Cloth wipes & a small bottle of water to wet them with (these double as wipe cloths for sticky fingers and faces!)
- 4 - 5 cloth diapers (AIO, pocket or fitted diapers), and 2 - 3 covers (if you’re not using All in Ones)
- A hand towel or changing mat.
- A waterproof wet bag to tote dirty diapers home in.
- Burp cloths
- Bib
- Bandaids
- Bottle of milk if no longer breastfeeding, and no-spill sippy cups for any slightly older siblings
- A small bag of finger snacks.
- Your extras: wallet, keys, sunglasses, lip balm, cell phone.
Note: if you’ll be in the sun, don’t forget to lather your little ones with sunscreen before leaving the house.
Take your cloth diapers on… a weekend trip
Though the quantities will be different, weekend trip items won't vary too far from day trip items. Of course, you'll have a bit of extra luggage for your clothing, toiletries, pajamas, etc.
When you’re packing up your baby bag, just multiply the diapers and covers according to how many days you’ll be gone. For example: leaving Saturday morning through Sunday night? Toss in 10-12 diapers, and 4-6 covers (if you’re not using all-in-ones). Also, don’t forget to bring along a bigger wet bag to cart all your dirty diapers home in.
Staying with a friend/relative, or at a hotel? Ask if their laundry services are available. If they are, you can take care of all your dirty diapers before coming home. Just make sure to bring a little extra cloth-diaper-friendly detergent.
Note: keep a changing pad and extra diapers handy in the car for changes along the way!
Take your cloth diapers on…a weeklong trip
Find out if your destination has laundry facilities. If so, you only need to pack enough diapers for 2-3 days.
No washing machines where you’re going? No problem. You’ll just need to bring enough for the whole week, plus a clean pail liner to bring the dirties back home in.
If you’re going to be without laundry for the full seven days, take 21-28 diapers with you, along with, along with 14-21 covers, and about 12 cloth wipes. You might need to bring along an extra bag for all your supplies!
BIG TIP: check to see if there's a diaper service where you're going. They'll deliver a week's worth of diapers that you don't have to worry about washing! All you need to bring are your diaper covers and wet bags.
A few final tips:
Whether you're venturing out for an afternoon or a full week, a few things to keep in mind:
If you don't know already, be sure to count how many diapers you go through in a week. This will help you get a clear idea of how many you’ll need to pack for each getaway.
Going out of town for more than a few days? Prefolds with a week’s worth of covers are easier to pack than a bag full of AIOS. They take up less room, dry faster in case you need to wash or rinse them, and air out nicely for smell-free home journey.
Even if you don’t plan on leaving long enough to need to wash your diapers, take a little container full of detergent just in case. If you're camping, you can always heat water over the fire for an emergency wash. If you're touring, keep your eyes open for laundromats you can stop at.
