Packing diapers on a long trip

[spark]

I've got a really cool trip planned this summer.  I'm taking an Amtrak from Miami to Fairbanks, Alaska (I like trains😁),  It's not all trains, because it's a boat from Washington, and I fly from Juneau to Anchorage (no boats go between those cities).   

The issue is that I leave on June 29th on a red-eye, and get back home on July 12th.   That's two weeks.   Based on my usage, I'll probably need at least 30 diapers.   I don't pack that much clothing on trips, but on this one I need both hot-weather clothing and a good cold-weather jacket (the ferry might be cold), and diapers are bulky.   

I'm thinking that I pack enough diapers to get me from Miami to Seattle (Thursday to Wednesday) and order diapers from Amazon to a locker in Seattle to get me through the next week.  I don't think I can trust Pull Ups to get me through a night anymore.

[ValentinesStuff]

If you're staying at a hotel, you could also have them shipped there. The hotel should hold them for you.

[spark]

15 hours ago, ValentinesStuff said:

If you're staying at a hotel, you could also have them shipped there. The hotel should hold them for you.

That won't work as well for me because I only have 3 nights in a hotel.  That will be the first night, and then the last two nights.   I have a couple of nights in Seattle, but I'm likely staying with family during those nights.  They don't know, and that's not how I want them to find out.

[CodHero24]

If you're only bringing 30 diapers, (and you can't use the shipping to your destination method),

You could just check a bag of luggage with most of your diapers,

and have a "carry-on" bag with even more diapers and other things you might enjoy on the flight.

 

I've read somewhere airlines even let you bring an extra bag for medical items, free of charge.

Just make sure you bring extra diapers in your carry on, in case you get stranded somewhere.

 

And also consider the possibility of the airline losing your checked bag altogether,

and thereby being forced to wear store brand diapers at your destination...

You could put an Airtag into your checked bag, so you know where it ends up in the event it gets lost.

 

[Alyeskabird]

There are a couple ways things can be done, IIRR UPS and Fedex will alow you to ship stuff to a pickup center and you can pick it up there. You would have to find a pickup center in the area you are going into, but that might be an option. 

A lot of hotels will also alow you to ship something to the hotel and they will hold it for you, but, you have to make arangments beforehand.

Still, it sounds like this is a traveling vacation, your not going to be staying anywhere more than a day or two, that makes shipping things a bit more difacult, and makes it more difacult to do shopping in the areas your going to be going into. You might have to just bite the bullet and cover the cost of an extra suitcase so you can bring the diapers you need with you. A lot of vacationers basicly stay at a hotel or something like that for the vacation and its easy to ship stuff to the hotel. A traveling vacation its a heck of a lot harder to  do that as its hard to scedual things for pickups along the way.

[Dubious]

Prioritize bringing diapers.
Bring a credit card, so if you need something you didn't bring, you have an excuse to buy something new, and as you use diapers, you get space. 

[drynot]

No boats between Juneau and Anchorage?  Really eh?  I would have thought that route would be on the ferry schedule....

[spark]

11 hours ago, drynot said:

No boats between Juneau and Anchorage?  Really eh?  I would have thought that route would be on the ferry schedule....

I'm sure there are cruises that go between Juneau and Whittier, but the Alaska Ferry doesn't have one this year.  It's a shame because the goal was to use non-airplane transportation the whole way,

17 hours ago, Alyeskabird said:

Still, it sounds like this is a traveling vacation, your not going to be staying anywhere more than a day or two, that makes shipping things a bit more difacult, and makes it more difacult to do shopping in the areas your going to be going into. You might have to just bite the bullet and cover the cost of an extra suitcase so you can bring the diapers you need with you. A lot of vacationers basicly stay at a hotel or something like that for the vacation and its easy to ship stuff to the hotel. A traveling vacation its a heck of a lot harder to  do that as its hard to scedual things for pickups along the way.

This is all about the journey.  I've only got 3 nights in a hotel.  I also have two nights in Seattle, but I'm staying with my cousin (assuming she doesn't change her mind), and then 1 night in Anchorage and another night in Fairbanks.   Those are also my last two nights.    In reality, it is summer and I have the time.  There is no reason I couldn't have spent a night in DC, Chicago, and even Denali, but I'm trying to do as one continuous journey.

Packing for this trip is a nightmare because I need shorts and t-shirts for Miami, DC, and Chicago, but I'm expecting cool weather getting to Juneau.  The main bulk will be the diapers and the bulky jacket I'm bringing for the boat.

Right now, my plan is to use an Amazon Locker in downtown Seattle.   I pick it up when I get to Seattle, and then use that full pack to get me back home

 

[Alyeskabird]

Thats part of the problem with that sort of trip, there really is not a lot of places to stop and shop or grab stuff. Unless theres a place willing/able to hold stuff a few days, your kinda stuck. Its why I was saying to just go ahead and bring what you need, even if its an extra hastle. In a way, its the same mess if you hit up a cruise, bring what you need for the whole thing else your going to have issues.

[messyman]

Call around the medical supply stores in those cities and find out which ones have anything decent

 

[AU Wet Pants]

On 5/22/2023 at 4:41 PM, spark said:

I've got a really cool trip planned this summer.  I'm taking an Amtrak from Miami to Fairbanks, Alaska (I like trains😁),  It's not all trains, because it's a boat from Washington, and I fly from Juneau to Anchorage (no boats go between those cities).   

The issue is that I leave on June 29th on a red-eye, and get back home on July 12th.   That's two weeks.   Based on my usage, I'll probably need at least 30 diapers.   I don't pack that much clothing on trips, but on this one I need both hot-weather clothing and a good cold-weather jacket (the ferry might be cold), and diapers are bulky.   

I'm thinking that I pack enough diapers to get me from Miami to Seattle (Thursday to Wednesday) and order diapers from Amazon to a locker in Seattle to get me through the next week.  I don't think I can trust Pull Ups to get me through a night anymore.

Interested to hear how the trip goes?  I am not a 24/7 however my wife and I are travelling to the states at the end of the year and travelling Amtrak for three days.  I found a diaper I can wear at night in our tiny roomette as it is so hard getting in and out of the top bunk to use the toilet (and I am afraid I will wake up my wife by fumbling around in the dark).  I won’t need to bring so many as I won’t be wearing while we are with friends and family (they don’t know that I am AKDL.). We will be in the states for six weeks and doing a renewing of our marriage vows while there (we have been married for 15 years).

[FretaBWet]

My wife and I just got back from a 7 day cruise to Alaska. We left a day early so we could spend a stress free day in Seattle before getting on the ship. We flew to Seattle from Kansas with 30 Confidry 24/7’s in one of our 2 checked bags with clothes taking up the rest of the room. I carry a big handbag with 2 diapers some disposal bags and some wipes in a zip lock sandwich bag plus the diaper I was wearing when we left the house. We planned 3 diapers a day times 8 days which should have given me a good cushion (pun intended). When we got home I was on my last diaper. If you are 24/7 and normally go through 3 dips a day on average your usage will probably vary. I suffered a leak in the Denver airport that was obvious because 1 I was trying to keep to the average and that’s not always the way it will go and 2 when you are wetting as needed it’s not a oh this is my 3rd wetting I better change it’s difficult to tell how bad you are without a physical probe which is unrealistic at an airport gate. The good news was that the handicapped bathroom was very clean and spacious.

Hugs,

Freta

[spark]

On 6/5/2023 at 9:44 AM, AU Wet Pants said:

Interested to hear how the trip goes?  I am not a 24/7 however my wife and I are travelling to the states at the end of the year and travelling Amtrak for three days.  I found a diaper I can wear at night in our tiny roomette as it is so hard getting in and out of the top bunk to use the toilet (and I am afraid I will wake up my wife by fumbling around in the dark).  I won’t need to bring so many as I won’t be wearing while we are with friends and family (they don’t know that I am AKDL.). We will be in the states for six weeks and doing a renewing of our marriage vows while there (we have been married for 15 years).

I'll give you an update once I start the trip, and will do a summary as it relates to the diapers.

I do have experience wearing diapers on an Amtrak while in a roomette.  The nice thing about the roomette is that it will give you some privacy.   The door locks from the inside (not outside).   You can pull the curtains on either side and change without too much difficulty.   If the bed is up, it would likely require a standing change.   Disposal can be a hassle.  The waste baskets in the toilet is meant for paper, and you have to push the diaper to get it in there. but that's what I usually do.   The is a smaller waste basket in the room that you could use.  I believe the bathrooms in the coach sections are a little bigger, so that might be a better option for disposal.

I've never been on the top bunk before, but I've heard there is a big difference between the top bunk in the Viewliner and Superliner.  Viewliners are single decked and used for trains that go through New York.  The upper deck is spacious enough to sit up without difficulty.  The Superliner (anything west of Chicago) is double-decked, and the top bunk is tight.  It is enough to sleep, but it is tight.  There is no way I could imagine somebody coming down from the top bunk, getting on their shoes, and exiting the room without disturbing the bottom bunk. 

I don't have any experience waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom on an Amtrak (I've always been diapered), but I know it is a PITA.   Roomettes are tight with the beds down, and you have to wear shoes when outside the room (believe me- that's a GOOD thing).  Get up, find your shoes, open the door, walk downstairs to the bathroom, do your business, and then walk back upstairs to climb back into the upper bunk.  No thanks!  Now imagine doing that with an old man's prostate where your stream tends to be weak and it takes an extra trip or two to fully void?

[AU Wet Pants]

Thanks for the note Spark.  Like you my wife and I have taken Amtrak in the past also.  On past trips it has been a big pain to go to the toilet.  Glad I will be wearing this time it will make life so much easier.  Didn’t think about what to do about the used diapers thanks for the tips.  We are taking the California Zephyr from Chicago then transferring in Sacramento and taking the Coast Starlight to Seattle.  Thank you for letting me know how the trip goes.

[spark]

5 hours ago, AU Wet Pants said:

Thanks for the note Spark.  Like you my wife and I have taken Amtrak in the past also.  On past trips it has been a big pain to go to the toilet.  Glad I will be wearing this time it will make life so much easier.  Didn’t think about what to do about the used diapers thanks for the tips.  We are taking the California Zephyr from Chicago then transferring in Sacramento and taking the Coast Starlight to Seattle.  Thank you for letting me know how the trip goes.

That is an absolutely awesome trip.  Last year I took the Starlight to Portland from Oakland.  I must have really enjoyed it, because I went to Denver in July.  I took the Texas Eagle to Coast Starlight (from LA) in April, and of course, the monster that I've got planned in two weeks😁  If I thought trains sucked, I wouldn't do that.   Pardon my train geekiness, but I'm told the track between Denver and Glenwood Springs is the best scenery on Amtrak, and among any other train route around.  I did from west to east, and hit Glenwood Springs at 8pm.  Which meant the best part was at midnight, and I couldn't see.   You are scheduled to hit Denver at sunrise, which means you have a lot of leeway for the Rockies.  You might miss the Sierra.     On a side note, the Coast Starlight from LA to San Luis Obispo is spectacular.  The beach was literally right under my window.  You can take the Surfliner between LA and San Luis Obispo, and it's worth it.

From what I've noticed, traveling with diapers creates two dilemmas   The main dilemma is space.  Pull-Ups as less bulky than regular diapers, but useless for use.   Three diapers a day can add up, and 15 diapers are bulky.   The 2nd is practical disposal.  Even in hotel rooms, it's awkward.   I'm past the point of being apprehensive about hotel maids seeing a used diaper in my waste basket, but they are usually pretty small.  One diaper fills it up.   I stayed with my brother (who doesn't seem/want to know) this week.  Even if I didn't care if they saw them, they don't have a big enough garbage containment to deal with a bag full of used diapers.   I basically put them in a bag, and discretely dumped them in bathrooms that I went to while I was out.

I think I've finalized my plan.   I usually travel with a 24-inch carry-on that I put in the overhead, and then a backpack that I can put under the seat.   I rarely check a bag, and take the bare minimum of clothing.   However, this trip requires clothing that I'll wear in Miami, DC, and Chicago and I'll be sweaty, and something to wear when cold and windy on the boat.  I also have a few hours in Juneau between the boat arriving and the plane leaving, and no place to ditch my bag.  I decided to get one big bag that's I'll check, and a backpack that will go in the overhead.    In most cases- I don't wet a lot at night, so my nighttime diaper will be good until after breakfast, which means only two diapers per day.   By my count, I'll need at least 10 diapers to get me to Seattle.      I'll pack 12, and then some Pull-Ups.   I'll order a package from Amazon to pick up from an Amazon Locker in Seattle, which should get me.

[AU Wet Pants]

17 hours ago, spark said:

That is an absolutely awesome trip.  Last year I took the Starlight to Portland from Oakland.  I must have really enjoyed it, because I went to Denver in July.  I took the Texas Eagle to Coast Starlight (from LA) in April, and of course, the monster that I've got planned in two weeks😁  If I thought trains sucked, I wouldn't do that.   Pardon my train geekiness, but I'm told the track between Denver and Glenwood Springs is the best scenery on Amtrak, and among any other train route around.  I did from west to east, and hit Glenwood Springs at 8pm.  Which meant the best part was at midnight, and I couldn't see.   You are scheduled to hit Denver at sunrise, which means you have a lot of leeway for the Rockies.  You might miss the Sierra.     On a side note, the Coast Starlight from LA to San Luis Obispo is spectacular.  The beach was literally right under my window.  You can take the Surfliner between LA and San Luis Obispo, and it's worth it.

From what I've noticed, traveling with diapers creates two dilemmas   The main dilemma is space.  Pull-Ups as less bulky than regular diapers, but useless for use.   Three diapers a day can add up, and 15 diapers are bulky.   The 2nd is practical disposal.  Even in hotel rooms, it's awkward.   I'm past the point of being apprehensive about hotel maids seeing a used diaper in my waste basket, but they are usually pretty small.  One diaper fills it up.   I stayed with my brother (who doesn't seem/want to know) this week.  Even if I didn't care if they saw them, they don't have a big enough garbage containment to deal with a bag full of used diapers.   I basically put them in a bag, and discretely dumped them in bathrooms that I went to while I was out.

I think I've finalized my plan.   I usually travel with a 24-inch carry-on that I put in the overhead, and then a backpack that I can put under the seat.   I rarely check a bag, and take the bare minimum of clothing.   However, this trip requires clothing that I'll wear in Miami, DC, and Chicago and I'll be sweaty, and something to wear when cold and windy on the boat.  I also have a few hours in Juneau between the boat arriving and the plane leaving, and no place to ditch my bag.  I decided to get one big bag that's I'll check, and a backpack that will go in the overhead.    In most cases- I don't wet a lot at night, so my nighttime diaper will be good until after breakfast, which means only two diapers per day.   By my count, I'll need at least 10 diapers to get me to Seattle.      I'll pack 12, and then some Pull-Ups.   I'll order a package from Amazon to pick up from an Amazon Locker in Seattle, which should get me.

Thanks for the update on your trip.  Amtrak is great if you have a bunch of time (as they usually not on time).  As my wife and I are on holidays in the states and have time it should work out ok.  We have taken Amtrak from LA to Seattle and it is incredible scenery when you are travelling next to the ocean!!!  Have good memories of that trip.  I will only use my diaper for bedtime in the top bunk so hopefully four ABU Kiddos will fit in my bag.  Unfortunately there isn’t much room to store your bags.  Enjoy the rest of your trip.  Yes disposal is a big problem☹️ and pull ups really start leaking as soon as you use them for me.  Happy travelling and enjoy Alaska it is an incredible state.   

[Goerge]

I desperately want to wear nappies. Stuck in Sri Lanka for another week, with no access to my beloved nappies, I wish that I packed some tena slip maxis now. I’m going 24/7 on 1st June for 6 months. Would rather be at home  in a wet nappy than in Sri Lanka.

 

 

 

[spark]

I mapped out my trip to get an idea of the scope of what I'm attempting (while diapered):

http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=SFO-MIA-FLL-KPBI-KGIF-KMCO-kded-kjax-KSAV-KCHS-KFAY-kptb-KDCA-WV21-KCBe-KPIT-KCLE-KTOL-KSBN-KMDW-KMKE-C47-KLSE-kONA-KMSP-KSTC-KFAR-KGFk-KMOT-KOLF-KGPI-KSZT-KGEG-KEPH-KEAT-KPAE-KBFI-KBLI-PAKT-PSG-JNu-ANC-WWA-AK06-PAFA-ANC-SFO&MS=wls&DU=mi

When I look at the scope, it's a long trip

[spark]

I'm now at the midway stage of my trip.  I ended up packing a full package of Crinklz (15) plus a couple of extra, along with some Pull Ups.   For the most part I've used two diapers every day, although I had a leak in Miami.  BTW, tip- don't test diapers to the limit on trip like this.  Dealing with leaks is a hassle when access to new clothes and laundry is limited.   

Disposal on the Amtrak was pretty easy.  I brought some diaper disposal bags with me, but run out.   Fortunately I was able to buy small trash bags, which are perfect to disposing a used diaper.  My roomette offered enough privacy to change my diaper, and each car has a large trash box in it which easily fit the used diapers.    It wasn't that difficult to deal with diapers on the train at all.

I didn't have enough diapers to complete the trip, and I didn't order from Amazon in time to have them dropped off.   I decided to buy some in Seattle.  I went to a Target, but all they had were Pull-Up style Depend Diapers.  I was able to get some briefs at a Walgreens, and if that didn't work I would have gone to a Medical Supply Store.  However, that store wasn't close to downtown, and I'm using public transportation, so it would have taken nearly 2 hours to complete.  I'm happy with how it is going.