Travelling anywhere with a baby means lots of stuff, whether that's going to the mall for a couple of hours or spending a few nights at the in-laws. 

When we first started cloth diapering, my hubby and I decided we would do cloth at home and disposable when we went out.  I was overwhelmed with the idea of lugging cloth diapers and wetbags with me everywhere I went.  However, I quickly realized, no matter what kind of diapers you use, there are things to lug when you have a baby! Plus, I didn't like using disposable...my baby got rashes, I hated the thought of adding more diapers to the landfills, and the more I used cloth, the more I loved it.  So, after doing the disposable thing a few times while we were out, I took the plunge one day and packed a couple of All-in-One diapers, a wet bag, some bum wipes, and a bum spray in the diaper bag and off I went.  I realized that really, this was not any more difficult than using disposables while out and about.  The wet bag contains the wet and the stink, so it's not a big deal to carry around some dirty diapers. 

After getting used to using cloth full time, we went away to a cottage (on an island, with no washing machine) in the summer.  Now came the real question...could I really do cloth for 3 days out of the house? Because the cottage is a "green" cottage, I felt like I had to give it a shot.  I packed a duffel bag full of diapers, liners, and wipes along with a couple wet bags and gave it a shot.  This long weekend was a success and since then we have done cloth diapering on over night trips and even a week-long holiday!

If you're wondering about using cloth while you're away, there are some things you need to think about. Know what your facilities are.  Will you be there long enough that you need to wash your diapers? If so, are there laundry facilities?  If not, do you have enough diapers to last for your trip or is there a laundromat near by?  I heard of one family who used only cloth diapers while traveling for months at a time (the husband was in a band).  It is definately possible!

Here is a list of what you will need for a few nights away from home. 

* Diapers & inserts/liners

* Cloth baby wipes and diaper spray or your own baby wipe solution

* Wet bags and/or pail liner

* Change Pad

Determine the quantity of diapers, etc.  you'll need according to how long you're going to be away, accessibility to laundry facilities, and the age of your child/how many diaper changes you do each day.  Pack it all up in a duffel bag, or better yet, if you're travelling by car, put it all in a laundry basket!

If you're spending some time away from home this Christmas and contemplating whether or not you will stick with cloth, I encourage you to give it a shot! You'll get the same health, financial, and environmental benefits as you do at home, plus maybe you'll convert someone else to cloth diapering when they see how darn cute cloth diapers can be!