Editor’s Note: This is a guest post. All commentary was submitted by a friend who was willing to share her experience on camping with cloth diapers.

Camping. A chance to see the great outdoors and experience unlimited freedom. Whether you’re heading to the beach, escaping to the mountains, spending time by the lake, or settling on a campsite for a few days with your family, you can bring cloth diapers along for the ride. 

When I was considering how to diaper during our trip, disposables seemed to conflict with the real meaning of camping. I’ve always loved camping, enjoying the outdoors and being mindful of nature and conservation.  Before my family took to the road, I read a few blog posts by some adventurous moms who camped with cloth, and I decided that I am also crazy enough to do it.  

My family camped for five nights and I packed enough diapers to last 2.5 days. I brought some flats, flannel receiving blankets (to use as flats), and prefolds, which totaled around 18 diapers. I would have used only flats during our trip if I had enough, so I packed a few Flip covers. I also brought Imse Vimse Flushable Liners, which was KEY.  I decided to leave the cloth wipes at home and opt for disposables just this once and made sure to bring a large wet bag with a zipper.

Our campground included flush and vault toilets, where I disposed of the flushable liners, and had a laundromat, so I could wash my diapers if needed. I was able to air dry my diapers on our campsite and wipe and reuse the Flip covers when my baby peed. Before I went home, I stored all my dirty cloth diapers in a wet bag, so I could store them easily.

Camping with cloth diapers took a bit more planning and effort, but it was worth it. I really liked using cloth diapers on the trip, and I’d definitely do it again.

Here are a few additional tips to consider when camping with cloth:

– Scope out amenities before your trip. If your hotel or campsite has showers, toilets, laundry facilities, etc., it will be easier to pack knowing this ahead of time.

– Pack bumGenius Sample Packs. These pre-measured packs fit in any suitcase and make it easy to do laundry away from home.

– Rinse diapers in a shower or sink if available. 

– Try hybrid systems like Flip diapers. You can wipe and reuse these covers (only if your baby pees), and just replace the insert.

– Bring a wet bag. This will help you store your dirty diapers in one place until you’re able to wash. 

– bumGenius 4.0s without the insert also double as swim diapers.