From ADISC Answers Wiki
Wearing diapers in public is something many AB/DLs enjoy doing, sometimes for the thrill and sometimes for convenience. There is a balance that needs to be achieved between having a high-enough quality diaper that you can safely use without fear of leaking, and having a diaper that is so thick that you risk getting caught without even wetting.
Recommended brands
There are several brands of diapers that are good for wearing in public without being caught.
Goodnites
Goodnites are extremely thin and virtually disappear beneath any kind of pants. Sometimes you can even wear hip hugging, low rise, jeans out with these pullups on. The only draw back is the fact that they only have a capacity of about one wetting; after that, they tend to leak.
Walgreens/CVS generics
CVS new cloth covered adult diaper is a discreet choice for the public-wearing AB/TB/DL. The first thing to note is its cost; about $8.00 plus tax for 20 diapers. Also, with a cloth cover, there's absolutely no crinkle whatsoever. They are slightly thicker than Goodnites, but not by much, so they vanish beneath any type of pants just so long as your pants don't ride low and they're not skin tight.
Attends, Walgreens, and Depends
Attends, Walgreens, and Depends are for the more daring AB/TB/DL. There is a series of special precautions you'll have to take in order to safely wear these out in public (see next section). They are thin enough to wear out in public under slightly baggy clothing, and the crinkle can be diminished to a whisper if you put a pair of tight underwear on over them (for example, boxer briefs). Attends and Depends hold roughly 2 wettings and up to 3 if you don't sit down. The Walgreens Fitted Briefs hold 1 to 2 wettings, if you don't sit down. These are best if you want a "rush" from wearing in public but want to avoid getting noticed as much as possible.
High-end and AB/DL-specific brands
It is not recommended to wear very large diapers out in public, such as the Bambino Classico or Dry 24/7. These tend to be very noisy, as well as bulky. For some, they provide a rush of excitement, but for others, they can prove to be more troublesome than entertaining.
Special Clothing Precautions
- Make sure you put your diaper on very snug. To put it a different way, make it tight enough that it leaves those unattractive red marks on your legs. This prevents leaks which would be disastrous in public. Although there is some argument that this is not advisable. Apart from the health risks of skin damage and potential for restricting blood flow, often the advice for a good fit and avoiding leaks is to actually not have them too tight, but snug. Don't wear diapers that are too big, but likewise not too small. Correct taping of a diaper will ensure a good fit.
- After putting the diaper on, put on a pair of underwear over it. The more coverage of the underwear, the more the crinkle sound will be suppressed. A pair of tight boxers does wonders in concealing any crinkle noise. Underwear such as traditional briefs (tighty-whities) and thongs should be avoided to conceal the crinkle. Also consider wearing a plastic pant over the diaper if you have baggy-enough pants. This helps with controlling noise, but most importantly it dampens the smell if your diaper is wet.
- Another purpose of underwear is to act as a "decoy" just in case you're bending over (or something of the sort) and your shirt rides up revealing whats beneath your pants. Once the underwear are up over the diaper, make sure the top of the diaper is tucked down beneath the waistband of the underwear. Consider using a bit of masking tape to keep the diaper-top folded down in. This way, if your underwear is spotted it'll be your real underwear, not your special underwear. If you have a slightly bigger pair of underwear than you normally wear, consider wearing that.
- Wear the baggiest pants possible. Really big cargo pants are a huge asset for this kind of public adventure. Of course, you can always adjust the tightness of the pants in accordance to how daring you're feeling. However, keep in mind that pants too tight will also restrict the absorbency ability of the diaper beneath them; this could cause your diaper to leak easier.
- Wear a belt. Even if you don't like belts, or you never wear them, make an exception when you're wearing a diaper. Also, pull the belt one or two notches tighter than you normally would. In doing so, make sure your underwear is beneath where the belt is applying pressure to. This further prevents your underwear, or your diaper, riding up.
- Wear a long shirt, in case you bend over and you end up stretching your back more than normal.
- Wear an undershirt, and tuck it into your pants. This way, even if your shirt rides up, people will only see your undershirt.
- An alternative to much of the above is to use a onesie if you can obtain them. Often available from AB sites, but also from special-needs sites in larger child sizes or adult, these one-piece garments have snap crotches and if you get a well fitting size, it will hold the diaper in place and can help reduce crinkle noise. Wearing a well fitting onesie can reduce the need for baggy clothing and will avoid accidental exposure when bending. There is no need to wear underwear, belts, undershirts, etc with a onesie.
Common sense tips
- Do not do a number two in public. It is unpleasant for everyone, but is especially unpleasant for the person wearing the diaper. Defecating in public is extremely impolite to the people around you. Doing this is likely to result in Moo hunting you down and either digesting you four times or ending your existence with a rusty spatula previously used to deep-fry McDonalds hamburgers.
- Whatever diaper you plan wearing out, know the holding ability of it for you. The amount that you urinate may be more or less. Test a few diapers out before you go out so you know the amount it can hold before a leak.
- Always wet one less time than your diaper can hold. If you know your diaper can hold three wettings, only go twice in it. Better safe than sorry.
- For guys, it is best to ensure that you are pointed into the part of the diaper that is the most absorbent. Keeping the diaper extra snug will aid in this endeavor.
- Don't flood your diaper. It will cause premature leaks because of the way the absorbent material works.
- Don't draw attention to yourself. In other words, it's not too smart to wear a diaper to work on a day where you have to stand up and give a speech to the board of directors.
- Don't wear to an event where all the people close to you (for example, friends, family, coworkers, schoolmates, etc.) are there. In other words, don't wear to places like family reunions, work, school, and so on.
- Wear out to public places populated primarily with people that you don't know. Good places include the mall, Wal-mart, amusement parks, and general places like that.
Other Advice
Diaper Crinkle
Several things affect the diaper crinkle. This information is applicable to both pull-up and normal diapers. However, pull-ups have no adjustment and either are acceptable or not. The construction, tightness, and fit all play important roles. These factors change how much plastic moves around and crinkles. Any decrease in plastic movement will decrease the audible sound. Having a good diaper adjusted correctly will be more comfortable, less likely to leak, and be quieter.
Construction
The construction of the diaper plays a modest role. Six tapes help to adjust the diaper to conform better. An elastic waistband holds the top portion in place. Quality tapes allow for good tension and keep the fit correct. The thickness of the plastic and/or cloth cover also changes the loudness. However, the other factors are more critical.
Tightness
The tighter the diaper, the less the plastic can move. With that said, there is a point of diminishing returns. Once most of the plastic is under tension, the sound will be about as low as possible. Going beyond this point will marginally decrease the sound, but will quickly reduce comfort. The extreme will cause either the tapes to fail or the body to bruise. The tension needs to be in all directions. A way of checking is to look at the front panel. If it looks tight like a full sail, good to go. If it has waves like a flag in a gentle breeze, noise will be a problem. The side flaps past the tapes should be tucked into the diaper for more discretion.
Fit
The fit is important because it should hug the body naturally. The critical areas for fit is the leg opening and the waist height. If the leg opening is too short, excess plastic will ride below the hip joint and flex while walking. At the waist, the upper tapes should ride just above the hip bones. Below this point, the diaper will fall below the hip bone. This allows too much flex on the front portion. Too tall will also ride down to the hips and create extra noise. You may have to try another size or brand to get a good fit.
