For long term diapering in an emergency situation, cloth diapers are the way to go. They are reusable, washable,and you don’t need to loot your local store when a disaster hits because you’re worried about running out of diapers. 
And cloth diapers aren’t what they used to be. There are some really nice designs out by makers like bumGenius and Charlie Banana. They don’t use pins, “rubber pants”, etc. and are available in specific sizes (small, medium, large–check each manufacturers website for sizing charts) or “one size” that adjusts from newborn to toddler size with one diaper. Cloth diapers have come a long way since my baby sisters were using them.
However great the merits of cloth diapering, cloth diapering every day isn’t for everyone. Some of us really don’t mind using disposable diapers. In fact, a lot of people use disposable diapers and aren’t ready or willing to make the switch to cloth diapers. That’s okay. You can still be prepared for an emergency if you are using disposable diapers.
The first thing to do is to stock up on diapers. Have a few packs around in the size your baby is wearing plus some in the next size up. If your baby grows out of size 2’s before you use all the 2’s in your stash, just return them to the store you bought them from and exchange them for 3’s or 4’s or whatever. Most stores don’t have a problem doing a straight across exchange even if you’ve had the diapers for 3 or 4 months at your house.
For a little more emergency diaper insurance, you can buy some cloth diapers. Yes, they’re expensive, especially if you’re not planning on using them except in an emergency. However, whether you use them or not, when your baby is past diaper age you can always sell them on craigslist or ebay or some other classified ad type system and recoup most of your cost. In fact, you can buy them there in the first place and probably save a bit on your up front cost. So, say you purchase a 6 pack of diapers for around $100.00. In two years (or three+ years) your little guy is potty trained and no longer needing diapers and what do you know? There never was an emergency where you needed to use the diapers in those two years. So list them as new on your classifieds of choice, sell them for $90.00 (they are two years old even if they haven’t been used, plus this will make sure they sell quickly), subtract your fees for selling (if any) and for around $10-$15 you had emergency diaper insurance for those two years your little one was in diapers. If you ended up using them, you can still get a good price for them when you’re done using them if they’ve been kept clean and in good repair. Even if you end up keeping them (maybe you’ll have another kid sometime or want to have them available for a friend/neighbor/grandkids), $100 really isn’t all that much for diaper insurance.
If you are planning on using cloth diapers for emergencies, do be sure you have a good way of washing them. You’ll need to be washing often, especially if you aren’t purchasing very many of them for your emergency stash.
Give it some thought. You for sure don’t want to be caught without a way to diaper your baby in an emergency or long term survival situation. That would really stink.
Keep preparing! Angela
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“That would really stink”– ha, ha! :)
I also love the cloth diapering idea for emergencies and would love to hear your ideas for washing them in an emergency. I’ve been wanting to get a hand washing system from Emergency Essentials for years, but never knew what to settle on… $47 Wonder Washer? Or $15 Mobile Washer? Have you ever used either one? Thanks, Angela!
The sun is a lifesaver when using cloth diapers. Leave them in the sun for a while after washing (that’s what a clothesline is for, after all) and let them air out and sun bleach. It gets rid of stains and smells better than anything else I’ve found.
Also, for my kids, it’s been important not to use cloth diapers all the time, especially at night — my children are especially … productive … at night. Diaper rash is much easier to get with cloth diapers, in particular when the diapers get very wet, so we tend to use disposables at night.
I used cloth diapers from 1968 until 1972, continuously with two in diapers for 10 months of that time. Some survived to be used again from 1975 to 1977. I did buy five dozen for that last round. Then, my daughter used another dozen for several more years when she sucked her thumb. Basically, I had over five dozen diapers with no intention of having another child. So, they went into storage.
About ten years later, I pulled out several for dust rags. Then, I started using them to strain jelly or whatever I was straining. Today, several reside with my dish towels. The intervening years between use for the original purpose and present uses sort of eliminates the ick factor.
I had thought my children could use these for their children, but they used only disposables. These square Birdseye diapers have served me well. They will probably still be in my possession and in use when I die. I think 4.5 dozen of them still have not been touched since I put them away. If I ever move, they will serve to cushion breakables. In the meantime, they just live in a bag on a shelf.