pampers7 said:
How many uses can you typically get out of your diaper extenders using the outer cover?
That's tough to say. Back when I first played with that method, I would usually make a new pair of extenders with the first diaper from a new bag, use them until the bag was finished, then toss them. Most of the time, they were still perfectly functional--perhaps a little ragged-looking and stretched-out--by the time I was done with them. It just seemed like a good idea to remake them semi-regularly. There were a couple of times when I wore Pampers with those extenders for many hours straight, and I never had an issue. In fact, truth be told, I've never had them fail on me while in use. They just get a little ugly, and eventually start to offend my aesthetic sensibilities.
But in the last three years, I've several times torn the covers of Baby Dry 6 and particularly Luvs 6 diapers while removing them to make extenders, and others have shared similar experiences. And I'm fairly practiced at peeling them off, too, so I can well imagine that a person just getting started might have real trouble. Without a doubt, the covers of Cruisers and Swaddlers are wayyyyy easier to remove. In fact, it's actually difficult to ruin the cover. Almost certainly, extenders made from the covers of these diapers can be expected to last longer, but I guess I have no real proof of that.
pampers7 said:
Does the taping panel on the new Swaddlers seem more like the Cruisers 7 or Baby Dry 6? I wear both regularly for some variety, but the Cruisers seem to hold up a little better with my homemade extenders using velcro one wrap and microfiber towel to cover most of the hook side that is against my skin. The Baby Dry requires a strip of the velcro across the front while the Cruisers hold just fine with the velcro covering about 1.5" of the panel on either side.
The taping panel on these Swaddlers agrees with my memory of the last Cruisers 7 diapers I had, which were purchased in August of 2016. I was finished with those sometime mid-September and didn't buy more.
pampers7 said:
I really hope they don't make the Baby Dry size 6 smaller with the new extra absorb channels. I also have not yet bought a large box just to try them, but I am curious if I should be stocking up on the current generation.
As soon as I see the "absorb channels" mentioned on the bags of Baby Dry 6, I'll buy one and report back. I don't mind the absorb channels padding, to be honest, even though it does very much remind me of a maxi pad. But if we can keep the 22-1/4" length of Baby Dry 6 and Luvs 6, I'll be very happy. For years, those have been the baby diapers I've used the most. It's very convenient to have the largest Pampers also be the ones you can buy in just about every store.
But! If the Cruisers/Swaddlers sizing does finally infect Baby Dry... I suppose it's possible I might switch over to these Swaddlers 7. Having to go out of my way (my Walmart is not too near) and buy them by the box is slightly annoying, but a big baby has to have his diaper fix, so... :shrug:
pampers7 said:
Knowing if the next new versions will be better or worse has always been tough to figure out before the current version disappears. I think 2011? (mostly white front, green dots on the back, white wings, and blue tapes) was the only time I successfully bought a couple boxes of my preferred version before they disappeared from all stores and I wish I bought more.
Yeah, the mid-2011 Cruisers 7, the first ones with the "3-Way-Fit" branding, were the most ABDL-friendly Pampers in recent history. The elastic was the best its ever been. A year later, they brought the thicker Swaddlers cover material to Cruisers, and that included the cover on the elastic. Suddenly it was a lot harder to stretch. It's still crazy-stretchy, of course. The fact that I, with a 38" waist, can still managed to tug and squirm my way into these diapers is pretty amazing. Or at least amusing.
But yeah... If I could go back in time and stock up on older Pampers, 2011 is one year I'd visit. And then probably 1989.
