Travel With Cloth Like A Pro - #beachbash

Summer is in full swing and I’m so excited to be selected as one of the participating bloggers in the Kelly's Closet Blogger Beach Bash. All participating bloggers will be sharing fun summer posts and giving away a $15 gift certificate to Kelly’s Closet in addition to the awesome Beach Bash Prize Package that Kelly's Closet is giving away on their site for a swim diaper, sunscreen, & medium wetbag.  Have you gotten your entries in yet??? Well, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to write about for my Blogger Beach Bash post. What does summer mean to me? More importantly what does summer mean to me when it comes to cloth diapering? After thinking on this awhile it hit me! I’m sure you've realized that we are out of town… A LOT. I think we’ve only been home about two weekends this whole summer. So what does this mean for me? It means that I’m packing up diapers for trips all the time. After a little trial and error I have traveling with diapers down to an art form and I’m here to share with you my diaper traveling tips. Check out my travel packing lists below as well as a few tried and true cloth diapering travel tips that are sure to make your days away from home go a little more smoothly. 

The Weekend Packing List (1-3 nights) 

Cloth Diaper Safe Diaper Rash Cream (travel size) 

Disposable Diaper Liners – Linc only poops once a week so I only bring these if it’s getting close to pooping day, but if your wee one poops a lot (and it’s solid enough for liners) then I would highly recommend them so you can avoid stowing away super poopy diapers till you get home or having to swish them while out and about. Don’t bring the whole roll. Just bring what you need and store them in a travel wipes case. 

All-In-Two Diaper Shells – All In Two diapers seem to take up the least space when packing since I can use each shell a few times. I figure that I’ll be using each shell about three times before tossing it in my wet bag. When figuring how many shells to bring I use the following calculation: 

((Avg # of diaper changes in a day + 1)*(# of days you’ll be away)) / 3 = # of Diaper Shells To Pack 

All-In-Two Diaper Inserts – Pack 3 inserts for every diaper shell. Sometimes I’ll throw an extra insert or two in for good measure. 

Nighttime Diapers – This will depend on how heavy of a wetter your child is. I can use an All In Two diaper with two inserts or a fitted diaper with a cover. I pack one nighttime diaper option for each night away. I do not re-use diaper shells or covers used at night due to the amount of pee that gets soaked into them. 

Swim Diaper – I like to pack two just in case Linc poops while in his swim diaper. I want to have a back up. 

Cloth Wipes (single ply) – Like I said. Linc doesn’t poop much so I only use one wiper per change. That means I pack the same number of wipes as diaper inserts plus one just in case. The reason I say single ply is because they take up less space in my suitcase than my double sided wipes. 

Large Wet Bag 

Small Wet Bag – I usually bring two small wet bags (one for the drive to my destination and one for the drive home), but you can also get away with one. Just empty the wetbag into your larger wetbag and reuse. Wipe the wet bag out and let dry if needed. 

The Extended Stay Packing List (with washing facilities)

My extended stay with washing facilities packing list is pretty much the same as my weekend trip packing list. I just pack enough shells, inserts, nighttime diapers, & wipes for 3 days and 3 nights. I also pack enough cloth diaper safe detergent for my entire trip along with a measuring scoop and two large wet bags instead of one.  This is based on washing every other day.

The Extended Stay Packing List (without washing facilities) 

My extended stay without washing facilities packing list is a bit different. I still pack everything I do for a weekend trip with a few tweaks to accommodate hand washing EVERY DAY. Instead of All In Two diapers, I use covers and flats. The reason for this is because they are much easier when it comes to hand washing and drying. 

Cloth Diaper Safe Diaper Rash Cream (travel size) 

Disposable Diaper Liners – These are especially helpful when it comes to hand washing. The less poop the better. Just pack the quantity you will need while away and put them in a disposable wipes travel container. 

Diaper Covers – When it comes to traveling I find that PUL (no interior liner) is the easiest to clean, the fastest to dry, and takes up the least amount of space in your luggage.  Figuring that I'm going to wash every day, I pack enough diaper covers for two days plus 1 just in case.  I personally like to rotate between two covers each day and have one as a backup.

Flat Cloth Diapers – Pack enough flats for two days.  I pack one per change, but you might need two per change if you have a heavy wetter. Sometimes I’ll throw an extra flat or two in for good measure. I find that birdseye cotton flats are the easiest to hand wash and dry the fastest as well. 

Diaper Closure Device – You will not need these if you are just padfolding your flats and laying them in the diaper, but if you will be fastening your flats to your baby, make sure to pack two sets in case one gets lost (snappy, boingo, pins, etc) 

Nighttime Diapers – If at all possible I would stick with flats for nighttime diapering since they will be the easiest to hand wash. This might be the time you want to pack 1 wool cover or dare I say disposables, but I use a PUL cover? If you do use disposables I would just buy them at your destination to save on luggage space. 

Swim Diaper – I like to pack two just in case Linc poops while in his swim diaper. I want to have a back up. 

Cloth Wipes (single ply) – You definitely want to go with single ply when hand washing. They will clean so much better than double sided wipes. Pack enough for 3 days of diaper changes. 


Large Wet Bag - Ok, this one is optional.  If you are able to bring a bucket to wash in then I would use that to store your dirty diapers instead of a wet bag.  If you do not have a bucket then a wet bag might be necessary.  I would recommend a bag that does not have a cotton exterior so is easier to clean and faster to dry.

Small Wet Bag – I usually bring two small wet bags (one for the drive to my destination and one for the drive home). You’ll probably need to use these during your trip for day use as well. In that case I would pack a small wet bag that doesn’t have a cotton exterior so that it’s easier to clean and faster to dry. 

Cloth Diaper Safe Detergent - Pack enough in a zip lock bag for your entire trip and a measuring spoon.


Washing System - Now this part depends on where you're going and how you're getting there.  If you're driving you can bring a bucket and plunger for a camp style washer.  If you're flying you could just pack the plunger (in a plastic bag) and clean your diapers in a bathtub.  You could also pack a washboard if that's easier since it's flat or go really basic and just scrub, scrub, scrub with your hands.  If you go the hands route then be sure to pack some gloves too.  Check out my post on handwashing to see how I wash my flats.  You can also check out my camping post to see some fun pics of us roughing it with cloth.


So there you have it!  That's my tried and true method for traveling with cloth.  How do you travel with cloth?

Click HERE for a chance to win a $15 Gift Certificate to Kelly's Closet

Click HERE for a chance to win a Beach Bash Prize Package

For more great Blogger Beach Bash posts, visit the Kelly's Closet Blog for a complete list of participating bloggers.

**Kelly's Closet sent me a Tots Bots S-T-R-E-T-C-H Bamboozle for my participation in this campaign.  Be sure to check back during my September Fitted Diaper Event for a full review of this diaper!!!