i started out on trads and all you need is a towel....and placky pants and pins, of course

adding to that, i'd recommend using a 'liner' (just a piece of thin guaze which helps the skin, feels sliky and prevents skids on your 'nappy'

). liners were used as the norm, back in the olden days, but most people seem to have forgotten all about them and i'm not even sure if Mothercare still sells them, but......the actual material is available in other guises from garden centres: anti-frost sheets/membranes. it's the same stuff, just in big sheets, which is better cos, being bigger than a baby (just guessing that you are), you can cut it to size; the bigger the better, usually.
since i'm wearing one right now, i'll also divulge another little tip: a 'one-way liner'. this is basically just a filter type membrane, as used in various household appliances. i was using these way before Pampers & co figured it out for their earlier not-so-gelling diapers.
these liners are available from B&Q as 'ground-liners' for ponds (before the waterproof membrane is laid - to stop it getting nicked by stones and twigs) and something else which i can't remember right now. it's the same stuff as is used to line coats, but a bit thinner, if that helps. they also come in sheets which you can cut to size. it'll add a bit of bulk without the weight and feel comfier when sitting.
i've got one those 'fitted' diapers (american) and i've got to be honest, it's pretty dire for absorbancy. easy to put on, but made from the wrong material (cloth, not towelling) and requires the use of pads for functionality.