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DF and i are so over all the 'stuff' in our life at the moment and have decided we are going to get rid of it all and spend 3-4 months travelling around Australia and live as simply as possible for a while.
How do you think we would go in cloth for this time? Any advantages for one type over another?
For sure! I assume you'll have a campervan? If you could put up a little clothes line in the back while you're driving then that would help. If you think you'll be using a dryer for your washing then I would get something with a seperate cover (pockets or fitteds) so you can air dry the covers to protect the PUL (they air dry quickly) and then tumble dry the inserts.
BTW: I'm jealous!!! I want to do this too one day :D
i think it would be pretty easy to do. we rarely use the dryer for our nappies - we just wash every second day, hang it all on airers, and let it dry. yes, space will be a premium, but if you peg stuff, you could dry while you're travelling anyway! when you set up somewhere, put the airer outside for the sun factor - all good!
i would avoid slow drying AIO's - maybe go for fitteds and covers (something like BBH/BBB with a fleece cover) - which can be boosted if you have a heavy wetter, or think you'll be driving for long periods....
i think if you're determined to make it work, you'll make it work. don't do the cop out thing and have sposies on hand "Just in case" - if you don't have them there, you have to work it out! that's what we did and after 14 months, she still hasn't had a sposie on her bum!
I've travelled over a lot of Oz with cloth and we do just fine. You'll always have to find somewhere to wash your clothes anyway so you'll always have somewhere to wash your nappies. Get yourself a decent sized nappy bin with a flip top lid (not a bucket as JIC there's longer than a day or so between washes the lid lets the air go through and stops the ammonia build up which destroys the PUL and elastic), and a decent stash and you'll be fine. I'd have enough for four days cos you never know where you'll be and what facilities you'll have.
I am doing it with two in cloth and no dryer but do have my own washing machine on board. Cloth is no big deal to use on the road.
My bestie did this with her hubby and little guy and seemed to cope just fine. I can ask her for more specifics on how if you need.
Sounds great! I am very over stuff too, its like a trap.
If your bub was born in APril this year, you'll be doing this soon? while bub is still in watery, explosive poo stage?
i could not personally imagine doing this unless i had access to a Little Squirt (attached to a normal loo).
i can imagine doing what you're suggesting, when child is at the "formed poo" stage, when the poo sits on a flushable liner, but not at the watery, explosive nb poo stage.
i must be a wuss, cos no-one else seems phased by this.
the washing part - depends where you are - i guess tiny out of the way places would not have a laundrette - i have read of people making their own washing situation e.g they put a esky (just for washing nappies) in the back of the truck/4wd - and as they drive along, the motion of the driving, agitates the nappies to be washed in the esky (full of hot sudsy water i suppose).
Some nappy fabrics will start to disintegrate, go holey on you, if nappies are left in a drypail for days on end.
all in twos (with snap in boosters) and pockets (with stuffable inserts) is what i'd use - after the nb stage - for quick drying.
for the nb runny poo stage - i'd stick with prefolds and covers with leg gussets - quick drying and great for pootainment.
i'd be waterproofing the baby seat too, for a long trip. i got a great purpose made mat for car seat from Haggles and Stokkus (around $25, absorbent part was hemp).
i would set off with a HUGE wetbag for the pretend nappy bucket e.g the Swaddlebee "pail liner" wetbag - about $30
a few baby beehinds wetbags (enough room to hold a day's nappies) - they're around $16 each i think
i would have a trial run at a local laundromat - to help you work thru - "what will i REALLY need on hand when we do this for real"?
you could also think about part time EC-ing (to cut down on nappy usuage) - there is a great website on that subject - tribalbaby.
hth
have a wonderful time! live the dream!