Blog 3: Longer Vacations With Cloth Diapers: Tips That Work for Cloth Diapering

When we traveled to Pondicherry for four days with our 5-month-old, we knew we had to wash on the trip. Our stash included:

• 10 prefolds
• 8 flats
• 6 all-in-ones
• 4-5 covers

We carried our usual detergent and requested a bucket from the hotel. Some people also carry a plunger for ease. We rinsed, hand-washed, and air-dried. The hotel provided a drying stand, but we had packed a rope just in case.

We avoided hotel laundry service due to concerns over detergents and handling. In some countries like the U.S., you can explore professional diaper cleaning services while traveling.

Cloth Diapering on Road Trips, Trains & Flights

Road Trips:

For road trips, refer to the tips above based on your trip length. Car travel makes it easier to carry a full kit and stop when needed.

Train Travel:

Our one overnight train trip was a learning experience! We cleaned our baby right on the seat and used the toilet to rinse diapers. If you can afford, booking a 2AC or 1AC berth offers more privacy.

Air Travel:

Airports often have clean changing areas, but in-flight diapering is challenging due to cramped toilets and fidgety babies.

Here’s what helped:

• Change baby before boarding
• Use a small wet bag for in-flight use
• If it’s a poop diaper, clean the baby first, then deal with the diaper later
• Pee diapers can wait till you get home

Should You Carry Disposables as Backup?

Let’s be real: even the most devoted cloth diapering parents consider disposables during travel. That’s okay. Keeping a few eco-friendly disposable diapers on hand isn’t abandoning your values—it’s being prepared.

Use them in case of:

• Long haul flights
• Back-to-back travel days
• Illness or emergencies

Look for biodegradable or plant-based options to reduce impact. Remember, cloth diapering is a long-term journey—a few disposables won’t derail your progress.  That said, I hope this piece gives you some confidence to do the travel without disposables!

Best Cloth Diaper Styles for Travel and Staycations (Ranked)

The style of diaper you choose can immensely influence how easy (or tricky) travel feels.

From my own experience, I found flat diapers super convenient for staycations, since they’re easy to wash and dry when you have access to water and space. (Checkout EcoSnug’s even faster drying Flat Diapers here). But on the move, especially if it’s a poop situation and more so if it’s breast milk poop, flats can get messy. The folds—whether pad fold or a fancier origami fold—tend to catch poop in multiple layers, making it harder to rinse in a public toilet (though totally fine at home).

For travel, the easiest options are usually:

• Pocket diapers, Pocket Fitteds, and Fitted Diapers – With inserts sitting inside the pocket, there’s just one main layer to rinse, instead of juggling multiple folds.
• Diaper liners – These are a lifesaver. I preferred wool and silk liners because I wanted to stick with natural fibers (most Indian liners are synthetic). With a liner, you can simply lift out the messy liner, while the diaper itself usually stays fairly clean—maybe just around the leg holes. You can add diaper liner to any type of cloth diaper that you are using.
• Disposable or flushable liners – These are another option many parents love for travel. We personally kept our stash minimal and stuck to reusable liners, but disposable liners can make on-the-go changes super convenient.

Fitted Diapers are generally harder to dry. That’s why we designed ours as a two-part system using highly breathable fabric. It’s not only unbleached and soft on your baby’s skin but also dries much quicker. This makes EcoSnug’s Fitted Diapers a travel-friendly option too. Check them out here!

I’ve done plenty of solo day outings with my daughter, and using silk or wool liners with pocket diapers or fitteds made cleanup surprisingly easy—even outside the comfort of home.

👉 Other styles worth considering:

• All-in-One (AIO) diapers: Convenient for short trips since they go on just like disposables. The trade-off is they take longer to dry if you need to wash them during longer stays.
• Covers with prefolds / Flats : If you’re looking to pack light, just carry a couple of covers and multiple prefolds.Pop up a Diaper Liner with it and you are set. Flats are quick to dry
• Hybrid diapers: These allow you to use either cloth or disposable inserts, giving you flexibility depending on your travel situation. However, they are not very easily accessible in Indian Market.

In the end, it’s about balancing convenience with your comfort level. If you’re someone who values quick rinses and minimal handling on the go, pockets with liners or fitted diapers will likely be your best travel companions.

Final Thoughts: Cloth Diapering Is a Journey

Traveling with a baby is an adventure in itself. Add cloth diapering to the mix, and you’re bound to face a few extra challenges—but also a deeper sense of intention and mindfulness.

With the right prep, cloth diapering can become part of your family’s travel rhythm. Don’t strive for perfection. Strive for connection, consciousness, and confidence.

So whether it’s a doctor visit, a weekend getaway, or a week-long vacation, you can cloth diaper while traveling. And you might even enjoy it.

Have you traveled with cloth diapers? Share your tips or stories in the comments below!

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