How To Make A Packer Holder with Binding Tape
How to Make a Packer Holder With Binding Tape
No harness, no special underwear, just tape, an O-ring, and your packer. Tape-based packing is one of the most secure and low-profile ways to keep a packer in place, and it uses the same roll you already bind with. Here's how it works, plus the honest tradeoffs, so you can decide if it's right for you.
The quick version: You build a small sling out of binding tape and an O-ring, seat your packer in it, and tape the whole thing to your body. It holds through movement, sweat, and water for the same 3 to 5 days a normal tape application lasts. Because the tape sticks to skin, you shave or trim the area first, and the packer rests against your skin, which not everyone wants.
Is Tape-Based Packing Right for You?
This method shines when you want your packer secure without a harness or packing pouch: at the beach, in fitted clothes, when you're active, or for several days in a row. It's low-profile and it stays put. But there are two things to know before you start.
First, you have to shave or trim. The tape sticks to bare skin. Any hair under it makes the hold weaker and removal rougher. We don't recommend going completely bald, though, since that invites ingrown hairs. Trimming the contact area down to about a quarter inch is the sweet spot.
Second, your packer rests against your skin. TPR or silicone, this method puts your packer right against your body instead of inside a fabric pouch. Some folks love how connected and natural that feels. Others are sensitive to that contact, or simply prefer a layer of fabric in between. If that's you, a packing pouch or harness may be the better call. Both are completely valid.
Patch test first. If you have never used binding tape on your skin, apply a small test strip to your inner arm and wait 24 hours before a full application. A small percentage of people react to adhesives. If you've reacted to band-aids before, this method probably isn't for you.
What You Will Need
- Binding tape: a narrower width like 3" or 4" is easiest to work with here
- An O-ring sized to your packer's base
- Your packer, TPR or silicone
- Sharp scissors for clean cuts and rounded corners
- Mineral or essential oil (baby oil, jojoba, or coconut) for removal later
- A mirror: placement is much easier when you can see what you're doing
Step by Step
Step 1: Prep and Trim the Area
Start with clean, dry skin, no lotion or oil. Trim the hair where the tape will sit down to about a quarter inch. Make sure the area is fully dry before moving on, since any moisture weakens the bond.
Step 2: Build the Holder
Cut a strip of tape and lay the O-ring on the adhesive side. Now cut an opening in the tape inside the ring. A simple cross (a single X) works and is the classic approach. For a snugger, flatter grip on a rounded packer base, try an 8-way asterisk: the same cross plus two diagonal cuts, which makes smaller flaps that fold up more evenly around the packer. Folding the tape in half before you cut keeps the opening centered. Either way, this is what your packer's base tucks through to anchor it to the ring.
Step 3: Seat the Packer
Push your packer's base gently through the cross so it sits snug in the O-ring. You want a decent margin of tape above the ring to grip your body later. Play with placement here before anything touches your skin. Take your time to find the angle that feels natural.
Step 4: Anchor It to Your Body
In front of a mirror, position the packer where it sits comfortably, then smooth the upper tape onto your skin with minimal stretch. Add a band-aid-shaped strip across the top for extra hold, especially if you use stand-to-pee gear. Press firmly and let the adhesive bond for a few minutes before getting dressed.
Wearing and Removing It
A tape application like this lasts 3 to 5 days and is waterproof, so you can shower, sweat, and swim without removing it. When the edges start to lift, it's time to take it off and start fresh. Tape is single-use.
Never pull dry tape from skin. Take it off slowly with a mineral or essential oil like baby oil, jojoba, or coconut oil. Saturate the tape, let the oil soak in for several minutes, then peel slowly while adding more oil as you go. Doing this in the shower works well: oil up, get in, and the tape comes off gently by the time you're done. Let your skin rest before the next application.
Stop if your skin is unhappy. A little itch as your skin adjusts is normal. Real pain, blistering, or a rash is not. Remove the tape, give your skin a full break, and do not reapply over broken or irritated skin.
Gear for tape packing: binding tape, packers, packing gear, and nipple guards. New to tape? Read how to bind with tape.