Dealing with Diapers

Diapers probably aren’t something you think about when you think about our travels, but we have to think about them all the time.

Diapers are a big part of our little Airstream and adventure life.

Buying Diapers and Wipes

We have to stock a lot of diapers and wipes while we travel, as many of the places that we go don’t have them available for sale or have them priced at super expensive tourist prices.

Once outside Zion National Park, we forgot diapers while driving an hour to a day hike. We had to pay over $1 / diaper for a small pack at a little general store since we didn’t want to backtrack.

Our typical approach to keeping a full inventory of diapers and wipes is to visit Costco when we pass through a large city.

Here’s our recent haul from Costco in Salt Lake City.

All of the daytime diapers, nighttime diapers, swim diapers, and wipes take up a ton of space in our one little cabinet-sized closet.

Changing Diapers on the Trail

When we hike or climb or bike, we take diapers and wipes, like any parent out and about with their baby.

Our exception though, when Wilson does his business, #1 or #2, and we’re miles down the trail or biking down some desolate road, we have to pack out the dirty diaper.

After changing Wilson on the ground or on a boulder, we carry around the diaper tied in a grocery bag until we find a trashcan, which could take hours.

Sometimes we have more than one dirty diaper on board until we can find a trash can.

It’s all really disgusting to me since usually the dirty diaper is in or on my backpack. The bag bakes in the sun and occasionally the smell envelopes me as I hike or bike.

Katie seems unaffected by the whole gross thing. Typical.

Changing Diapers in the RV

The only thing unique about changing diapers in our tiny RV versus changing them in a house is that we don’t have a designated changing table.

Instead, we have a designated ‘poop towel’. It’s bright yellow and sits in a corner. When Wilson needs a change, we always try to change him on the poop towel to keep the germs and dirtiness contained.

We also don’t toss diapers in a hamper to stew. If we did the whole RV would stink in a hurry. We immediately carry the diapers across the campground to a trash can or dumpster.

Who changes the diapers?

Katie changes most of the diapers. It’s part of an agreement we have. I wake up an hour early with Wilson everyday, and she will handle most of the dirty diapers.

Potty Training in Our Future?

Sure, at some point, but I’m not expecting Wilson to be potty trained any time soon.

Diapers and wipes will continue to be a part of our adventure lives.

So when you see a picture of us climbing a mountain or hiking a trail with Wilson strapped to one of our backs, know that the dirty reality of diapers are still reality for us.