ColoradoIceman

Pretty much impossible to find now but the thicker plastic from the vintage attends (1990s and before.) I believe the backsheets were made thicker and therefore louder. But the plastic is very stretchy. And best of all, no texture. Very smooth and pure, plain white. But these diapers are very rare and the absorbancy is not as high as today's standards. And the glue / sealant does not hold the lining well at all so they fall apart. But they do make nice cover diapers over modern diapers. One thing they had right, fluff in the wings. Don't see that very much either. Too bad. Ideally, ABU would do well to use this type of plastic for their backsheet material. I wonder how well it would hold up against the SAP crystals and packing. Then again, if they laid down a thin layer of cellulose and then added the crystals before adding more cellulose, they might not have the problem of pinhole leaks like the Dry 24/7s. I have not had quite the number of pinhole leaks with any Bambino or Secure diapers. But their plastic is textured and thinner which requires the taping panel. Of course, the old Attends did have tape popping issues. I would love to come across a storage building full of the 1980s Attends before they added SAPs. They were so nice and thick and fit really well. Of course I was much skinnier back then. *SIGH* Really limits what I can buy and how they fit being overweight like this. My wife is too good of a cook.

I'm south of Greensboro in Asheboro. It does seem like there are a lot of people here in N.C. with some interest in AB/DL. But I bet that ANY state would be that way per capita. Heck, before the internet, I didn't even KNOW there were others out there like me.

I heard that if you get them out of the bags and on a shelf, they will uncompress. They also will absorb faster after that too. I noticed a little difference but these absorb a lot already. Wish they were twice as thick! Oh well.

The ones I had was two lines... I wonder what the difference other than that was?

My major issue with the "cloth" backed disposiable diapers is the fasteners. They tend to pop off a lot. Plastic diapers you can add additional packing tape to reinforce a tape or replace one which has ripped off. I too have had problems with leaks from the cloth backed diapers but some plastic back ones can leak through pin-hole holes. The difference I found is that the holes are hidden much more in the cloth backed ones. The cloth backed diapers are cooler on the hips but where there is padding, there is insulation and heat. Add moisture and you have humidity too. Not the most comforatable - no matter what diaper is worn. Ideally, you should wear as little as needed when you are out where you might sweat. And wear cotton to help absorb sweat and keep you cooler. And this is coming from someone who is now living in the southern U.S. where the humidity is high enough that you sweat but it does not evaporate... Less is best. But in the winter - get the best quality diaper (your preference) and go for it. Now a tangent: I know some people swear by normal cloth diapers as being cooler but need plastic pants over them to contain the heavy wettings which makes them a diaper sauna. If you can go plastic pant-less, they might be more comfortable. This might be an option around home. I used to use cloth diapers under disposiables because the cloth would wick the wetness to ALL the disposiable. The cloth would remain damp but I found it to be a wonderful liner. But they required laundering, which my wife suggested would offset the increased absorbancy. So I would have to suggest it's all a factor of quality, convience and personal preference.

FYI - Both Bambinos and ABU run on the small size. I would suggest, if you normally wear mediums, to order large. But like all diapers, sizes varies and what might not fit on person will fit another. So I would suggest sample sizes are first. I wish both companies could make XXL sizes which would fit me more like the European brands (high on the hips.) Oddly enough, I tried the Wellness brief which is much lower rise but had lots of "wing" to it. It actully fit me really well. Plastic was cool too - very smooth yet more fragile. Just an example of how sizes can vary just like styles. I would wear a large attends and I need XL in Bambinos and ABU. And the ABU didn't really reach the taping panel for me so... These might be better for smaller people. Just my observations. I like them all. But I miss the Attends from the 1980s - thick, fit well... Sigh... All in the name of progress...

Or if you are an enterprising person, you can take a bambino and slit the plastic taping panel, cut the wings and ends off of another diaper, slit the back of it and slide it inside the first diaper through the slit. Then using plastic packing tape, close up the slit again. I had several Bambinos which had missing tapes on one side which I could cut up like this. It's worth a try. -Ice

Hmmm. I guess I found that alternative fuel source I was looking for to heat my house. Used diapers! I'll have to try that out. Save some trees. Reduce my waste too! True, it's sad that someone died but all sorts of clothing, furniture, bedding, carpets, etc. burn too. Some more than others. And smoking is NOT good for you anyway. Many houses around here burned up thanks to cigarettes so I'm not surprised to hear of a diaper burning. I guess it's the novelty of a burning diaper that made the news. You're just not supposed to stuff anything on fire into them though! Another warning label - if you smoke, do not put ash in your diaper. Anything they add to make diapers fireproof will increase their price and reduce their effectiveness. I wonder if the plastic backed diapers are less prone to catch fire than the "cloth backed" ones. Might be a good reason to go back to plastic backed diapers!!! Hmmm. Now, I have to ask, how did this guy get the lighter / matches / cigar / cigarette? Someone was not doing their job I guess.

Not a motorcycle, drunk driver or congressman in sight but I fell out the back of a truck (going 40 miles an hour) onto asphalt while working for the city. (Kind of interesting because the rental agreements do say no riding in the back but that's where they stuck us...) I did a couple flips, head - back - head - back - crash into trash cans. After a while, things just sort of went downhill as my back healed and the nerves were pinched... The city paid for several tests and had me sign my rights away and so when this all started up later, there not much I could do. And I was too embarrassed to ask either.

I also collected some of the baby sized diapers because I noticed a huge number of them going up for sale and the price was going up and up. Now it's rare to see too many for sale on E-Bay. Of course with the poor market, they are not worth selling right now since people just don't have the disposable income they used to. I plan on selling these later when the markets come back because plastic-backed diapers are now a thing of the past. I need to tell my wife that she should sell all she can on E-Bay or Craigs-list because they are worth a lot. Maybe some of the adult sizes as well that I am too fat for... It might be best for you to separate the collectibles and the "everyday" diapers. Also, you might want to put some sort of book together with photos of the items, how much you paid for them and when and how much they are currently worth to a collector. And how much you think they will be worth later. Maybe even printouts from recent Ebay sales with the amount similar items sold for on E-Bay. That way the benefactor will have some sort of idea what they have on their hands. Of course if that person just takes them over to the church for the kids to wear, then they are the ones who are out the money, of which they could tithe 10% which would buy probably 10 times more "modern" diapers for the kids! Oh well! I wonder how many unused "vintage" diapers ended up in the landfills and how many are STILL going there. If only people knew...

I've had issues with the diapers but it's rare. And they are getting better and better now that they have the settings on the new machine set correctly. Heck, I had a Classico split right down the back yesterday after I accidentally ripped the top. Doesn't take much to start the rip unfortunately. Luckily I plan for such problems and had another one over it so nothing was wasted. Of course these are some I ordered last fall and I am slowly using them up. Again, I have to ask, what was wrong with the plastic that was on these when they started producing them? I found them to be stronger and nicer. Perhaps it's price. Perhaps the new machine doesn't do the older plastic. Personally, scent has no meaning to me. After the accident that rendered me incontinent, my sense of smell has fallen off to nearly zero. What I smell is hard to describe. Everything smells like chemicals to me. Sure make soft drinks taste different. But if the added scent made them better for others (i.e. the smell of pee is masked) then other people stand to gain! It's time to reorder. I hope they have their new products listed. Now if they could produce a better diaper for night. I can't help sleeping on my side and leaking. I have some more lined plastic pants coming but come summer, I'd like to avoid the sauna! I still want to see thicker and more in the wings. Yep broken record. Or broken clock. But at least I'm right 2 times a day!

Are they inserts that allow for wetness pass through them? Or can they be used like undergarments on their own?

That's true... Baby powder works good for that too! ;-)

Personally I still think more absorbency in the diaper wings is more important for us side sleepers. More absorbency all over would be GREAT. They are quite absorbent now but it could be better - thicker too. They could add scent to the diaper itself... However, I hate to ask but who's going to be sniffing your diapers anyway? Ewww!

...

That's what I am doing - waiting until the 15th. I hope it gets here soon because I need to place an order soon but if they are coming out with a product which is better for sleeping on my side. I leak way too often that way and I sleep like that all the time because there is just not enough room otherwise. I might have to place an order for some Secure X-Plus which seems to be almost identical... I sure wish they would switch back to the plastic they used to use a year or so ago. Smoother, seemed less likely to split. Still think they can create a thicker one for nights. Have to try all the suggestions to make them absorb more. I tend to leave them in the packs to conserve room.

Well... the problem is, I have to change flights and carriers and finally I will end up on a float plane with a single engine and 5 kind of overweight people so no extras! And where I am landing, ultimately, has to have everything flown in and out. So I doubt they have much of anything!!! And I have to be there for 4 or 5 days. So I will do my best I guess. Like I said, nights are the worst for me. And same with the flights - if I fall asleep, I don't think my neighbor would mind the diaper compared to the wet seat... I don't think I would be that embarressed if they open my bag and find diapers. Of course I am flying out early in the morning from a small airport the first leg and will not need to mess with security again. Coming back, I should have less. The very last leg I have to do two days and *might* be able to get diapers there. But getting a whole bag for 5 hours of flight is overkill. Fun eh!

Bambino doubled up (modifed to be thicker and more absorbant). Bathrobe. Slippers. A smile. Last night it was just a 1990's vintage Attends thickened with 4 Bambinos - very absorbant!!!

I find that I have to wear on a plane because I am usually stuck where I can make it to the restroom in time. Either I have a neighbor between me and the aisle who is asleep, there is a line at the lavatory or they are serving drinks (selling food) and the access is blocked. But there is the risk of the "smell" of a wet diaper but that can be managed. Plastic pants help too. Hot but necessary... I would be heading to the lavatory if I had to do #2. Even if I do not make it, that diaper would be coming off! (Guess that's why I start off double diapered - gives me a reserve right away without needing to get into my bag.) Changing is not too bad in the airports though. So many people. They would not pay any attention. Now my problem is, I have to travel this coming summer and have been requested not to have any checked luggage. I'm guessing I will need to have a smaller "personal item" which has the diapers in it. Not including the 12+ hours on 4 different flights each way, it's going to be a week of hell for me... I'll need to find some other option for the nights I am away (the worst time for me) that's for sure.

I believe that the sooner, the better, someone is told, the better. How to break the ice is the problem. I know people want companionship FIRST. And so they tend to bury certain feelings. But those feelings always come out sooner or later and need to be addressed. If a guy tells a girl that he likes to wear diapers, it might be a deal breaker but SO WHAT? Those people were not compatiable. But the problem is now, the man might worry that the girl will blab it all over. And their image would be distroyed. I think men might be more accepting of an AB girl because the way we are wired, for sex. It would just be sexual play for us guys. Women are looking for a commitment and someone who in lean times can take care of a family, not some juvenile baby-ish person. Also, our society has taken the stance that diapers means dirty. We were raised to be toilet trained and that toilets are clean and the right thing and diapers are bad and for babies. Even if the individual does not feel it is dirty, their friends using peer pressure can make the person give up wearing diapers to fit in and have friends and companions. How does one bring it up after years of marriage? Slowly I assume. Test the waters. Two things come to mind though; Is the individual willing to live as they are if their spouse does not accept this or is seperation a viable option? Is the spouse willing to research this a little and is able to make the leap that an AB relationship with their partner is a bond between them and not something to cause them to run out and meet other people? It's something I feel can strengthen a relationship. But the longer one waits, the harder it will be. Ideally this is something to bring up within the first year or marriage, perhaps as some sort of play. But do not go overboard... I did not have that problem. My wife knew who and what I was when we met via the Internet. My back injury was causing me more problems which I have worked to manage. She was accepting and because she was, I did what I could not cater to her needs and wants. We've had a great partnership for several years now. One nice thing about the internet was that we had a whole year of pure communication before we ever met. I know when my wife is "playing with me" that I feel a VERY strong bond with her. I have her attention. We are not talking politics, economics, work, family problems or other "adult worries." We are just engrossed in play which is pure and between us alone. The child to parent bond is VERY strong. And at times when she pulls on a diaper herself, I feel INCREDIBLY protective of her, like a father would for his little girl. It's between us and no one else. It brings us together and gives us plenty of time together snuggling and enjoying each other's company. How many people not in diapers or an ABie lifestyle can say that? So the right woman or man is out there. It took me years to find mine. And if you found your soul-mate, then it should not be a problem to bring out more facets of your psyche. It takes time and patience. And love. Love can overcome all. Just my two cents which was in stocks and is now worthless. God bless my wonderful wife. She's my blessing.

The problem is that nothing sold today is equivalent to these baby diapers of the late 80s and early 90s. The plastic is the biggest difference but so is the amount of fluff since more and more SAPs are being added. If you are lucky, you might be able to come across some of the Attends made around that time - the 90s - which have the plastic that was very similar to the baby diapers of the era. They are thicker than many diapers today since they had less SAPs. Of course some Attends had a plastic lining (micro-pours) that are uncomfortable in warmer weather. In many ways I envy you as having been of the correct age to grow up wearing what I think of being the quintessential baby diapers of the era, the Luvs Baby Pants before they added so much SAPs to make them thinner. The cut, thickness, plastic, waistbands, leg cuffs, etc. They were so awesome and I'd love to see anything like that produced again. But that was the time when the whole landfill issue came to a head and the diaper companies really changed course. Probably would have done that anyway. But the diapers of the '80s were quite thick and the babies waddled so cute - like little ducks. And the thick diaper would stick out a little in the back like their tail. Cute. But I'm sure that an old person waddling around like that with a butt that stuck out that much would be frowned upon, and thus, no manufacturer would produce the same for adults... Too bad. If there was a supplier of the plastic film that was used in the '80s and '90s - it was a very stretchy material that really did great to resist ripping without having to have those taping panels - I'd probably sit down and figure out how to hand make some diapers. Diapers not so much for wetting as for wearing I guess... But I have found an acceptable alternative which is fairly close. It takes a couple of either Bambinos or Secure X-Pluses. Step 1 - pull the plastic backing away from the padding in one diaper. Then cut a slit in the taping panel straight across where the padding has separated. I take the other diaper and cut slits in the back. Then I cut around the pad removing the excess plastic from the wings, tapes and even much of the leg gathers and waist gathers. Then I actually slide the front of this "pad", the smaller side, in first and work it to the back of the diaper so I have EXTRA padding in the front (good for men.) The last time I even used a baby diaper in there as well to help increase absorbency. Then after everything is tucked inside, I hold the diaper tight across the front and apply clear packing tape over this slit in the plastic. When I wear this diaper I also add two more plastic tapes to the side with more packing tape. It helps hold it up when it gets wet. Yes. It holds a LOT. I have a couple of the old vintage Attends which I might try to do this with just to see if I can make it more "baby-ish." I'd hate to wet it though. The vintage ones are good because they were sealed around the outer edges more than around the pads so they could be "super-stuffed." The main advantage to doing this is that the diaper is one piece. It does not slide down as easily as multiple diapers. Also, all fluff is inside the diaper as it gets wet. With multiple diapers even with slits in the back, stuff eventually leaks out... Also, I found that multiple diapers really only absorb well up to 3 layers thick. After that, they leak too well. I am not sure if my "all-in-one" concept would work better but so far it's worked with the two layers. Ideal for when I am out working away from a restroom or traveling and ESPECIALLY at night. Another option I had used in the past but use less now (mainly because I outgrew them) is I would use cloth diapers under a disposable. They worked great at night. But they have to be washed... But I never leaked out the side like I do many nights since I sleep on my side. That's why I am STILL looking for a product with more material in the wings to absorb when laying on my side. Experiment. And have fun. Everyone is different. Everyone likes different things. -Ice

Well, that WAS the problem, they slide down. Plastic over plastic, like layers of an onion, they slide down. This past weekend I decided to try a different approach. I cut around a Bambino pad and put slits in the back. Then I cut a small slit in the plastic taping panel of another one and slide the pad inside. Doubled it up. A single piece of packing tape (clear) masked the slit and sealed it up again. Boy, talk about absorbent! FINALLY! I even made sure it held up by taping from wing to wing across the front to make sure it did not pull apart. It held up all day and absorbed like it should! It got me to thinking about getting a larger diaper with a larger pad area and putting two or three of the bambino pads inside it. Will need more tape to hold it up too! Now if they could just make them thicker like that, it would save me some time. -Ice

I dislike pullups usually because they tend to be less absorbant. And sometimes they do not fit me as snuggly as a tape-on diaper leading to gaps and LEAKS! As my weight goes up and down, I can always size a tape-on to fit me correctly. Oh - and those velcro tape diapers - what a joke. Can't even get them tight enough to stay up, let alone walk around without them leaking. The last ones became stuffers. However, if you can get samples and try them for youself, they might work okay. I just never had much luck with them. Just my personal thoughts. I would suggest that if you can get down to an actual medical supply store to ask for them to order some better quality diapers than are available in the stores. You'd use less of them and be more comfortable. Mr. Ice

I do have to ask Bambinos - Is it technically possible to make a thicker, taller Bambinos on your machines? Think a Luvs diaper from the mid 1980s but bigger for adults. The plastic would stretch but not rip. And there was no need for taping panels. They were taller and have more material in the wings, a real problem area for me personally. Thicker would reduce the need for stuffing them or doubling them up. Doubling up means a waste of more of less a WHOLE diaper (except the fluff.) Cutting the back out of the inner one means it is unneccasry and the tapes for it is not needed. The outer diaper really does not need an inner lining. So how about just put all the fluff into ONE diaper? Can you actually do something like that? We're not talking economics here. We're talking functionally. My thoughts are - no. Too many custom parts in these machines. HOWEVER - what happened to the old line? Can it be retrofitted for speciality uses such as mentioned above? You do not need to make ONLY some sort of Bambinos "Ultimate" but could produce the X-PLUS in a higher waist with or without more fluff. Irregardless, I would like to see more material, especially in the wings. (And all over. ;-) ) And it's okay to increase price to cover materials because we realize we are getting a premium product. It's better than skimping on materials which annoys customers. And in this business, it's a very small part of the overall population. (Which is why I suggested that you could find other uses for the machines than just what amounts to be an adult size baby diaper.) Hey. It's only a thought wrapped up in a question. Bambinos are still the best. But coming from the target audience, I want to mention, there is always room for improvement. Thanks!

To paraphrase others: "Be yourself. All the cool kids are doing it!"