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I know that probably all of us have used a thin plastic shopping bag like you get at the grocery or big box stores to contain a used diaper. Nothing new there, but when you are out and about how do you carry a few in a pocket without it being noticed? And especially if you are going on a long trip, how do you take enough for a week or two with out having a huge wad of the bags in your luggage? The answer is (and I hope it's not too obvious) is to fold them perfectly flat, basically just like they were manufactured. It takes less than a minute to do it correctly but when you're finished the bag will be just a bit bigger than a credit card and just about as thin. You can easily get 20 or more into a space about the size and thickness of a deck of cards when folded this way. They are so thin that you can put a couple in any pants pocket without it being seen and they don't crinkle at all.

The secret is to get them totally flat and get ALL of the air out of them as you are folding them. Here's how I do it. I first lay a bag out on a hard flat surface, then the real trick is to get the bag to lay perfectly flat with all of the creases just right and the handle part flattened out properly. It takes a time or two to figure out the folds, especially the handle, but after you've done it once or twice it's no problem at all. After that fold the bag in half lengthwise two times, each time flattening the bag by pushing the air out towards the open end. After the second fold then fold it in half twice to shorten it. You will be amazed at just how thin that bag has become. You can stack about 20 (or even more) of these bags in one of the small pockets of your suitcase which will keep them compressed but ready for use.

Yeah OK, I know this sounds a little OCD and it takes a little time but what choice do you have when going on a fairly long trip and you need need a bunch of bags for your used diapers? I've used this trick many many times and it has worked perfectly for me for daily use and on long trips.

Excellent suggestion. Those bags come in rolls at our local supermarket; re-folding them is simply a matter of putting them back the way they came. This is an excellent suggestion for use in briefcases and gym/diaper bags. Also, I keep twist ties secure in a small, zippable plastic bag. I tired of fishing them, scattered, all over the bottom of my bag.

Hi Patrick:
Putting the tie-wraps in a plastic bag is a great tip too. Seems like I'm always trying to fish the darn things out of the pockets in my suitcase. Thanks!

Never thought of posting this here. I have been doing this for awhile now.. We don't get as many plastic grocery bags now a days, but I will buy a box of black bags at Sam's and they will last for awhile. Since they are already flat it doesn't take much to fold them. I use the folded ones at work and traveling and use the non folded ones at home to help with the smell.

I dispose of a used brief in the public washroom sanitary pad box in the women's bathroom or in the general trash can. I have had to urinate urgently in a changing room when shopping so I just peed in the absorbent brief. There was no trash can in the changing room so I had to bag the used brief and give it to a cashier to dispose of in the store trash can behind the cash. She seemed relieved (pun intended) that I did not just pee on the carpet in the changing room as some people do. The best changing rooms are the ones that have a washroom in the changing room area as there is usually a trash can there also. I try to carry at least one grocery store bag in my purse or a small kitchen catcher type of bag.