I was asked to shed some light on how to travel in the outdoors while using cloth diapers.  I have talked to friends, read some other websites and books, and compiled what I could into this entry.

My family uses cloth diapers.  If you are a frequent reader of my blogs you will know that my daughter came along on a weekend car camping trip when she was two weeks old.  The cloth diapers came along.  Our system?  We had none.  I would remove the diaper put it in a plastic bag that I had brought to pick up my dog’s poop and keep it in the tent.  Sound appetizing? Think it smelled good?  I don’t recommend either one of these methods. We used disposable wipes and threw those in the mix. It was wonderful to pull them out when we got to back home after four days!

Here’s what I’ve learned about cloth diapering since then:

·         Come up with a system that works for you.

·         Many families do cloth at home but bring disposables when they are on long outdoor trips.  This has its advantages and disadvantages.  Disposable diapers get bigger and heavier.  You also need many of them.  Carrying them with you will add weight and take up space.  It is my guess that this is a great way to teach someone about the ill effects of diapers on the environment.

·         If you only bring cloth diapers you can bring only the amount you need for one day. At the end of the day you can rinse and clean them out, dry them by the fire, and start again.  The disadvantage is that you have to clean them. Depending on how sanitary conscious you are this can be a challenge.  You may need to boil water and have biodegradable soap like (Dr. Bronner’s), then you need more water to rinse them.  In the desert if you are packing in your own water this can be very demanding.  Some folks opt only to clean the poop diapers and just dry out the pee diapers.

·         You also need to make sure your hands are disinfected and that you dispose of the dirty water appropriately. It is not o.k. to rinse the diapers in a lake, pond, river, or ocean.  The same goes with the wash water - it needs to be disposed of in the way recommended for the terrain you are traveling in.

·         Remember:  You need to dispose of a child’s poop the same way that you would an adult’s.  Depending on where you find yourself it may mean digging a cat hole, smearing, or having a container for it.  This goes for both cloth and disposables.  Even when you are home you are supposed to put poop from disposables in the toilet. You are not supposed to send poop to landfills.

·         I am just starting to learn the wonders of using cloth wipes instead of disposable wipes.  They actually wipe better then disposables and are definitely more ecologically sustainable.  They are so easy to use and are not noticed in your wash if you already use cloth diapers.  They are great on hike days too because when you have a diaper to change you can easily add the cloth wipe to a designated ziplock and be on your way. If you have the disposable kind you need to add them to your garbage weight and then use more and more.  The cloth kind can be cleaned with minimum water and used again.

·         Drying cloth diapers can be entertaining.  Hang them from your pack while you walk, or from tree branches to decorate your camp, or around the fire place.

·         Disposable diapers have a great advantage in that they hold more pee and wick it away from your child. If you are on a hike and your child falls asleep you don’t have to worry about the diaper as much as with cloth. You can keep going until you find a place to stop. This way you may be able to put more miles in before the diaper leaks onto the limited amount of clothing you bring on a camping trip.

·         If you are car camping bring a large plastic tub (Rubbermaid or other) or even ammo can with a lid. Place some Tea Tree oil or other odor distracter and add your diapers to this pail. Make sure it is a tight fitting lid that your child will not open or your dog visit. Make sure to lock it in the car at night and not in your tent so that critters don’t come to investigate.  This advice can be used for rafting, canoe or kayaking trips as well.

·         If you decide to bring cloth in the field think of purchasing a wet bag to keep your diapers from affecting the rest of your gear. The bag is plastic coated and durable, so it will not rip under most circumstances. It is easily rinsed out and reused over and over again.  I would also bring along some sturdy zip locks to put really dirty diapers inside the bag. This way the smell does not take over and then you can clean it when needed. You can reuse the zip lock and throw it out when you get home.

·         I think if you decide to bring cloth you should go with cloth wipes as well.  Bringing Tea tree oil can be good to because it acts as a disinfectant as well.

·         If you decide to bring disposables, think also of bringing cloth wipes.

·         Most people bring disposables (diapers and wipes) if they are traveling by airplane.  Some decide to pack there cloth diapers in there suitcase and then use them at their destination.  You need to have a plan and know that whomever you are visiting will be into you using their washing machine to wash your child’s poopy diapers.  If you are going to a hotel you need to make sure the sink is large enough to accommodate your washing and that you have appropriate soap.  Some countries may not have the soap your child is used to.

·         An advantage of disposable is that you can leave home without all the necessary amounts and always purchase more when you are on a car trip or other kind of city trip. The disadvantage with bringing them on an outdoor trip is that if you are out of disposables you are stuck. With cloth you can always clean them.

·         The disadvantage of cloth is that you have to be very organized and have a system. If you forget a part of your system you may have a wet baby.

Here are some great resources:

Before going out make sure to read up about poop disposal:

http://www.lnt.org

Links to websites that have good information about cloth diapers:

http://www.mothering.com/

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/baby-toddler/care-and-dressing/diapers/cloth-diapers-4-07/overview/0704_cloth-diapers_ov.htm

http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/5-diap/45-diaper-cost.htm

http://www.greenandcleanmom.org/

Cloth diaper brands:

http://www.cottonbabies.com

http://www.lesliesboutique.com

http://www.fuzzibunz.com

Heidi Ahrens