I’m going on a seven day camping trip in a couple of months, and I’m worried about how I’m gonna bind the whole way through. None of the people I’m going with know I’m trans, and I’d rather keep it that way. Still waiting for top surgery…
The trip will consist of a lot of canoeing and hiking. It’s a very isolated location with no bathrooms, trash cans, etc. Typically, my preferred method of binding is using transtape, but it only lasts about four days before it starts to come loose and noticable. On the rest days from the tape, I typically use an underworks full tank binder, but those are terrible to do any intense exercise in because it gets sweaty and hard to breathe. I have one traditional binder which I’ll use when exercising on off days, but wearing that seven days straight seems like it’s not gonna work because of sweat, having to take breaks at night, etc. It’s also hard to hide under athletic wear and doesn’t do the best job of giving me a flat chest. I have no idea yet if I’m gonna be sharing a tent or not.
Do y’all have any ideas/recommendations for a way to bind stealthily, be able to exercise, and in the middle of nowhere with people for seven days? Also any recs for a (reasonably priced) STP packer to take would be helpful.
Also of note, my chest isn’t particularly big. Probably on the smaller side of B if I had to guess.
Binding aside, you might be able to get some privacy by bringing a single-person backpacker’s tent. They’re small & light, and you can create any number of polite cover stories about it - sometimes you need frequent nighttime bathroom breaks and don’t want to disturb your tentmate with constant zipper noises, or you’re worried you’ll snore, etc. That way if you’re comfortable sharing a tent you can do so, but on nights you need a break, you can set up your own tent for privacy.
Also, that sounds like a great trip!
That’s a great idea. Thanks for the advice.
I don’t know this compares to the “traditional binder” you are refering to, or other binders you have tried, but I have found the “Becoming” binder from tomscout to be really great. The material is thin and can handle sweating without causing a problem. I find I don’t need to take too many breaks. The tightness is always a balance between flatness and breathing ability however.
Thanks a bunch for the recommendation!
I meant traditional binder in the sense of the shape, which resembles a sports bra somewhat. Most of the binders I’ve tried have either been cheap on Amazon or from underworks. Does it show much under thinner fabrics (such as athletic shirts)?
For me when wearing an thin athletic shirt, it only shows along the trimming over the scapulas. Maybe with a patterned shirt it would be less prominent.
CIS male here who went on a lot of camping trips back in the day. I think that staying reliably stealth while changing clothes in a shared tent would be really hard. Changing once with decent odds of nobody noticing — sure. But over the course of a week it really depends how dense your tent-mate is.
I used to always change my pants in my sleeping bag which is pretty easy. Changing my shirt in my sleeping bag was certainly possible but a lot harder. Doing any of that without my tent partner being able to see what I’m pulling out of my luggage would be effectively impossible.
OTOH the people I was camping with didn’t really give a shit what I was pulling out of my luggage and weren’t paying attention. They were my friends, it’s not like I was camping with the Spanish Inquisition.
Have fun, enjoy the trip
