One of the constant struggles of having a little one is weighing what to bring along and how many of each to pack. That includes that constant voice inside a mom’s or dad’s head asking, “how many diapers to take on vacation?” which frankly is simple but could easily get really complicated. Why not? It’s one of the travel must-haves babies – and parents – simply can’t do without.
Make your next family vacation a breeze
Travel with your kids now and build amazing memories as a family! Get our book, written by parents just like you, that will guide you all the way.
Key Considerations to know How Many Diapers to Take on Vacation
Packing for a trip is always challenging. Traveling with a baby in diapers further complicates this chore. Before anything else, here’s our top advice from a parent to another: enjoy it while you can.
Babies grow up so fast that you wouldn’t even notice. And there will be times in the future when you look back and wish you could’ve stressed less and enjoyed the hassle a little more.
That’s what we’re here for! So, kick off your shoes, rest your back, and check out these tips before you start on the difficult process of filling up your luggage. We hope you can learn from our experience and make this process a little less daunting for you to figure out.
Truth is, knowing how many diapers to take on vacation goes beyond any number. Here’s a list of the factors to weigh in:
Q: Where are you going?
If you’re taking a trip to another city, we bet you’ll find a store by the corner where your hotel or Airbnb rental is located that sells tons of diapers. Why is that important? ‘Coz that means you can just buy diapers where you’re headed. If you’re using one of the global brands, I’m sure you’ll be able to get the same brand where you’re headed.
In which case, I advise you to pack diapers for a day or two only. That should give you sufficient time to settle down, and get familiar with the neighborhood where you’re staying. If in case you don’t find the brand you’re using, better ask a local at the hotel for recommendation. Or, make that a topic for convo with a fellow tourist traveling with kids like you!
Just remember not to fly in clueless. If you can’t find a store on Google Maps or, if you just want to be absolutely sure, get in touch with your hotel or host to ask.
On the other hand, if you’re planning to vacay to a remote destination, better have everything you’ll need in your luggage. That means packing enough diapers for the full duration of your stay. Or, if you’re stopping over at a local urban area, you can resupply there so you won’t have to fly in boxes of diapers with you – they’re just too bulky.
Again, you can try to arrange for the hotel or your host to get those diapers for you. Remember, the key is close coordination, most especially when you’re planning to go off-grid.
Q: How many days are you staying?
Don’t forget to consider how many days you’ll be traveling. If you’ve figured out where you can buy diapers locally by following our tip above, this part should be less of a hassle. However, if you do have to fly in everything you need, then determining how many diapers to pack becomes so much more challenging.
Here are our top tips to figure out how many diapers to bring with you if you need to bring all the diapers your baby will need for the full duration of your stay:
- Start by determining how many diaper changes your baby requires each day –on average. That should give you a good baseline to begin with. Simply multiply that by the total number of days you’ll be away – that is, including the number of nights you’re staying, and the days you’ll be traveling.
- Pack extras. You should pack extras. Given the conditions of your travel, I’d say the quantity and weight of your luggage is the least of your problems. If we were to travel to a remote destination, I’d gladly pay extra for extra luggage! But, of course, you should do what you can to save up that extra for your pocket money instead.
- Consider possible emergencies. When you pack extras, make sure to think about potentially emergency situations where your baby might need more frequent diaper change compared to his or her daily diaper consumption. Keep in mind that it may be your baby’s first time and those little disturbances can easily disrupt your child’s bowel habits, in the same way that it can affect her sleeping habits. So best to be prepared!
- Consider using reusable diapers. Surely, disposable diapers offer utmost convenience when you’re traveling. However, when you’re thinking about remote destinations, that might not always be the case. If I were to go with my little one somewhere remote, I’d probably pack reusable diapers too.
That way, you might even afford to pack less diapers! That also lessens the stress of the thought that you might actually run out of stock, most especially in case the little one experiences bowel disturbances or tummy aches.
Of course, you’ll have to be prepared to wash diapers while on vacation. For me, that’s still less of a worry than having to figure out where to buy disposable diapers! That is, of course, assuming there’s plenty of fresh tap water where you’re headed.
Q: How many kids are in diapers?
Aye-yay-yay! Don’t forget to consider everyone of the little ones traveling with you who might need to be in diapers! It could be that other kids may have to wear diapers part of the time – like at night or while onboard the plane. Make sure to account for those special cases too.
Here’s a quick list of things for you to think about when packing your babies’ diapers:
- How many of your kids require diapers?
- What are their ages and sizes?
- How frequently does each child need to be in diapers per day?
- How many diapers does each child use per day?
Keep in mind that reusable diapers are always a great option. On top of your peace of mind, you’ll also feel good knowing you’re doing what’s best for the environment – and your kids, for that matter!
Q: Are you taking the plane or going on a road trip?
Yes, of course how you get to your ultimate destination matters a lot too. Needless to say, you have limited space to work with if you’re traveling by plane. Also, that’s more of a hassle. Well, I hope there isn’t any part of your trip where you might have to take a boat or a barge to get to your destination! Whew!
When you’re bringing your own car though, that gives you more space to work with. It’s not to say you can bring boxes of diapers with you as you wish. You just need to stress less about how many diapers to bring.
After all, there’s still plenty of things to pack. You haven’t figured out the baby bottles and formula to bring yet – in case you’re already on formula. If you’re still breastfeeding, at least you won’t have to worry about running out of supply while you’re away. Then there’s the baby wipes, carriers, seats, and change of clothes too.
Staying Sane When Traveling with a Baby in Diapers
I understand how parents can be such suckers for control! I’ve come to think of it as our instinct – our desperate call to stay on top of our chaotic life. Really, can anything be more demanding than being a parent to a child in diapers?
So, I wanted to remind you that no matter how much or how well you’ve planned what stuff to take with you for needs and wants, things won’t always go as you planned or expected. My top advice therefore is to prepare yourself to cope with the unexpected. It can become extra challenging to have to deal with those challenges when you’re not in your comfort zone. But, when you keep an open mind, you might even enjoy a little puzzle to solve along the way.
Conclusion
Wherever your next trip might take you, don’t allow yourself to be robbed of a great time with your family. Stress less as you try to figure out how many diapers to take on vacation with the help of the tips we shared in this post.
Planning ahead and establishing a good line of communication between yourself and your local accommodation will help you figure out what you really need to have a great, enjoyable, and worry-free vacation. Remember to keep an open mind and everything will fall into their proper places.
