Cloth v disposable.....

[5bugles]

[/quote] What size cover do you use, so as to make sure all the cloth is held in and the elastic is tight to the skin? That's been the biggest barrier to using cloth at night for me. Even the next size up doesn't do both these things.[/quote]

Yes, that's a tricky question. I've tried different sizes/approaches including a couple sizes too big as well as high waisted plastic pants, the theory being that the extra sizing allows more room to contain leaks. For me, however, that didn't work as the elastic became too loose around my legs and waist. Now I just go by my waist size which keeps the elastic snug and also keeps the cloth in place against my body, preventing leaks. I have a few different brands - each with a slightly different cut - and have found which brands work best with whatever setup I am using at any given time (# of layers, cut of diaper, etc.).

When putting on plastic pants, I try to squat down and make sure the elastic is well up my legs to my crotch area, then gently pull up the top to cover the top of the diaper. Depending on size/cut, the back may stick out above the elastic...I just push it down inside and move on. That's what works for me - your mileage may vary.

[Padded53]

With guys, I guess it’s a matter of positioning male parts as to where the moisture will dispense and wick from there, but most likely in the lower front area is my thought.

....What size cover do you use, so as to make sure all the cloth is held in and the elastic is tight to the skin? That's been the biggest barrier to using cloth at night for me. Even the next size up doesn't do both these things.

Humanfly - You might want to check out the Leakmaster PUL pants at Adult Cloth Diaper Co. They are the exact same quality as Gary PUL pants but with a much more generous cut, especially at the rear/upper back.

[Ellyn]

For me, waterproof pants don’t seem to really fit me well either... To get pants to fit me well on the waist and legs, I could maybe fit into some manufacturers ‘small’ but pulling them over my double diaper thickness, it’s a very snug fit. ‘Medium’ size fits well over my wide hips and diapers and is usually okay in the waist, but sometimes loose over my thighs. One thing I’ve learned though is that if the diapers are right, the fit on the legs don’t need to be snug, but containment of the cloth is essential because of wicking. If we depend on tight elastic on legs and waist to ‘contain’ leaks, the diaper isn’t absorbent enough where it’s needed. For me, a single diaper gets saturated quickly if I flood and can leak at the leg opening! With double diapers or use of a booster, leakage doesn’t occur, regardless of leg elastic snugness.
Everyone is different though.

[Padded53]

Ellyn hit the nail right on the head, it's not the job of a diaper cover to contain liquid leaks, at least not of any real volume. It's meant to be a barrier between a damp/wet diaper and the outside. That's why for night time use it often makes sense to wear a one or even two sizes too large cover so that all of your inner protection is covered no matter how much you move. Obviously for daytime use there are issues of discretion to be taken into account and wearing an overly large cover might not be possible. Bottom line here is if you are having constant leaks it's probably the diaper and/or fit, and not the cover, that's at fault.

[5bugles]

Great perspectives! I hadn't looked at it that way before, but it makes sense. Time to rethink some things!