D.W.
I'm a cloth diapering mom and I won't spend the money on cloth trainers lol! I use the $6 for 3 pair Gerber thick training pants you find at Wal-mart. For my kids, if they felt what was going on they got it quicker. But I know there are some kids that it really upsets so you'll have to see what will work with your little man. Bare bottom also worked good for us once they started to get the hang of it.
I started out by setting a timer every 15 minutes, making a big deal of it and running to the potty because the "pee pee bell" rang. I have a potty in each of the bathrooms that my little one can get to. I then gradually increased the time of the bell as they could hold it longer.
Your little man is young so he may or may not be able to do it but I say go with their strengths! My daughter was 17 months old when we started and we've been diaper free at home except for nap and nighttime. I love it! Saves me time and less loads of diapers to wash!