This is a question for my curiosity's sake more than anything. Do any of you find a way to pack during shark week? Do you even think about it?

For me, I am already feeling too female from the hormone changes, so sometimes packing doesn't do anything. I try to just tough it out at home, no binding, etc. But I have been out in public during these times and I'm torn between packing and not. I'm also torn between using the men's restroom and not because, well...there aren't any bins in the toilet! I'm also a bit hesitant on making "unwrapping" noises in there, I don't know.

I know this time is touchy for most of us but it's a long way from here for me getting my parts removed so I want to know how people handle it.

Since I don't pack, I can't really answer your main question... But, in response to the unwrapping noises, you can pre-open the packages without taking them out of the package.

I often use a women's restroom at a train station, and there's no bins in the stalls there either, so I just wrap them up in the old packaging and then just put them in my bag and toss it later.

Shark week, like on the Discovery Channel? What does that have to do with anything?

Just an idea, since I am finished with shark weeks forever. RAH!!
Anyway, what about a harness and fit it outside your underwear-- can that even be done. Of course, you won't exactly feel it up against you as much...

BTW, Diane it's the great (evil) red tide.

--Jay

Those are really good ideas. I will have to get used to the pre-opening tampons. I just don't carry a bag, so I'll have to be extra careful with disposal.

That was my only issue, I want it pressing against my skin, but I don't want to risk dirtying it or anything. Perhaps a harness is the best idea.

At first I assumed you used pads, but then in the next post you mentioned tampons.

Surely there's no risk of the packer getting dirty if you're using a tampon? Maybe I'm missing something here 

Quote from: DianaP on December 15, 2012, 09:07:47 PM
Shark week, like on the Discovery Channel? What does that have to do with anything?

I love all my trans sisters but it's stuff like this that makes it uncomfortable to ask absolutely anything we want to each other. You won't see me on the MTF board chatting about dilation or breast growth. Give us some privacy too.

Quote from: Seb on December 15, 2012, 10:10:03 PM
Those are really good ideas. I will have to get used to the pre-opening tampons. I just don't carry a bag, so I'll have to be extra careful with disposal.

If you're going to pre open tampons you might want to carry them in a ziplock bag. They're supposed to be sterile or you can get an infection. 

Quote from: Simon on December 16, 2012, 10:46:39 AM
If you're going to pre open tampons you might want to carry them in a ziplock bag. They're supposed to be sterile or you can get an infection.

Slight trigger warning, but if you're already in this thread you'll probably be okay.

Another option might be applicator-less tampons, like the ones OB makes. They're basically just shrink-wrapped, so they have very little packaging material (you can just stick it back in your pocket), and hardly make any noise to open. They're also small, easy to carry in a pocket. On the downside (and this isn't a downside for me, but it very well may be for lots of people), you have to get very, erm, up-close and personal with yourself. Sticking fingers in places. I love them since they're so easy to transport.

I've never heard of those, maybe Ill give it a shot.

The mess I was mostly worried about with pads, yeah. Especially at night, or when it's the last few days and things aren't fluid enough for tampons. I do use both haha. I am not sure about how to go with the pads as far as packaging. I'm sure I can manage disposal but I don't think I can pre-open those hahaha.

I guess I didn't see the thing re: tampons. No I don't see a problem with a packer. I suppose that you could use a silicon packer. I think there are a few that aren't crazy size. They might be a little more hygenic in that the cyberfoam stuff will probably take in a lot of bacteria and be less easy to wash. (I wouldn't boil in silicon packers though.)

OK Trigger warnings:
I used to use OB, because I couldn't really get the others in. But yes, warning on the applicator-less insertion method.

I agree with Simon, even though I basically answered the question. I would chime in if there is a non-personal question, but I am not touching the more sensitive topics like tucking and so on. This is a sensitive and even triggering topic for some of us. Yikes think about boundaries as you can tell there was a question re: packing.


--Jay

I guess the amount of noise would depend if you're using a tampon with plastic or paper wrapping. The ones I tend to use have the paper and it's not loud.

I don't pack all the time and use a guys regular jock strap when I do to hold it in place which seems to work fine with my boxers. I have been using tampons since 8th or 9th grade and haven't leaked for years so I don't have a problem getting my packer messed up.  I use the applicator kind as the non kind require too much handling of my parts down there to get them in.  I never liked pads as you could always feel them and see them everytime you peed.  I have been using men's room or the unisex restroom for over a year now.  I attend school and two days a week I am there all day into evening and during week shark at least the first couple of days of it have to change tampons there.  I try to use the restroom when there are no or few guys in there, I keep my extra tampons in my backpack.  I have never considered that opening a tampon was there noisy, my bigger concern is not leaving any drops of blood or red strain in the stall when I pull the old one out and rap it in toilet paper.  I then push it in the trash with the other paper towels, once I had a guy coming in as I was pulling my hand out of the trash but he had no idea what I was doing if he even saw me. I use super tampons for my heavier days so I don't have to change so often.

Quote from: LearnedHand on December 16, 2012, 08:42:31 PM
I guess the amount of noise would depend if you're using a tampon with plastic or paper wrapping. The ones I tend to use have the paper and it's not loud.

I feel this twist-opening-foil types don't make any sound at all.

I don't normally pack exept around the house because I have problems with my cock not wanting to stay in place. If I do feel dysphoric and feel the need to pack when I am dealing with that time of the month I use a sock because it is washable. No need to worry if it gets smelly or gross just toss it in the laundry and its no problem.

Quote from: Seb on December 15, 2012, 07:15:30 PM
This is a question for my curiosity's sake more than anything. Do any of you find a way to pack during shark week? Do you even think about it?

For me, I am already feeling too female from the hormone changes, so sometimes packing doesn't do anything. I try to just tough it out at home, no binding, etc. But I have been out in public during these times and I'm torn between packing and not. I'm also torn between using the men's restroom and not because, well...there aren't any bins in the toilet! I'm also a bit hesitant on making "unwrapping" noises in there, I don't know.

I know this time is touchy for most of us but it's a long way from here for me getting my parts removed so I want to know how people handle it.

I don't pack personally, but as far as the "unwrapping" sounds with pads...I think the pre-opening idea is a good one, but if you don't manage to/forget to do that ahead of time I actually find that there's a way to minimise the sound (its been a part of my paranoia for a long time/worrying that people who even know I'm trans might know what I'm doing in there even in a bathroom at home/non-public and freaks me out). I find that kind of putting the ridged opening part that you would usually tear open between your thumb and index and kind of rubbing/rolling them together so that the two pieces separate...if that makes sense...eliminates that loud "ripping" sound. From there on its not so bad just being careful not to make the sound. It takes two seconds to do and gets rid of that tell tale "ripping" heh

Hopefully that makes some kind of sense/someone will know what I'm talking about and explain it better lol

I have a packer however i hardly ever use it as of yet but I've been worrying about the same thing (the no bins in male bathrooms) seeing as I'm going back to highschool next year to finish my senior year (also first time after beginning to socially transition) but I think the best idea is what numerous other people have suggested. Snaplock bags for later disposal. Maybe wrapped the used ones in toiletpaper as an extra precaution?

harnesses are also your friend, in my experience! Maybe double up on underwear if your don't have a harness?

OK, I'm going to just throw this one out there. Not as a recommendation, but just as a reminiscence of how I used to manage this in school, since people are talking about school and college.

I was in Primary School (ages 6-13) when my periods started. I'd change my sanitary towel in the school toilet but there were no sanitary bins provided because I guess our school was in denial about the fact that a 12-year-old can have a period.

So I'd just wrap the used pads in toilet paper and put them in my pocket, then I'd later transfer them to my school bag so that I could take them home & throw them away there. There was no way I could bring myself to throw them away at school in a public bin where everyone could see what I was doing!

All of which was pretty much doable until I had a rather nasty incident where my English teacher didn't believe me when I told her I'd left my homework at home one day, so she called me up to the front of the class with my school bag and she tipped the contents - including a used sanitary towel which had unravelled from the toilet paper - all over the floor in front of my entire class. That would be bad enough for anyone... but I was severely dysphoric about my periods so it was extremely traumatic for me.

From that day onwards, I couldn't use sanitary towels at school. I used to roll up several sheets of toilet paper & put that in my underwear instead. Of course, the risk was that I would bleed through to my uniform but I'd just use thicker piles of TP on the heavy days.

That way, I could just flush & replace it every time I used the toilet, and there were no suspicious noises or anything.

Oh and that English teacher? I posted this story on our school's website a couple of years ago, and she contacted me on Facebook to apologise. We're now friends on FB.

Quote from: FTMDiaries on December 19, 2012, 08:37:26 AM
Oh and that English teacher? I posted this story on our school's website a couple of years ago, and she contacted me on Facebook to apologise. We're now friends on FB.

At least she was kind enough to apologise to you

I'm just planning on the toilet paper plus snap lock bag plus dispose of at home afterwards way

Quote from: funghoul on December 19, 2012, 08:44:59 AM
At least she was kind enough to apologise to you

Yeah, she's awesome. She was a very strict teacher and we were all terrified of her, but she turned out to be a diamond in the end.

Quote from: funghoul on December 19, 2012, 08:44:59 AM
I'm just planning on the toilet paper plus snap lock bag plus dispose of at home afterwards way

Plus large pockets, so you can hide it away.