Archiv für den Monat: Februar 2016

Easy to spot and handy enough to take to dungeon parties.

This article is the last part of the Bondage Hardware Special. In this text I will show you what I keep in the emergency kit that I usually take with me when I go out for play. It gives me a bit of confidence knowing that if something goes wrong I can properly deal with it. This confidence of cause requires some discipline so before each time I take this bag with me I check if everything is there in a decent amount and still good. If not, I replace it. Some items might sound strange to you or trivial because they are standard equipment of every play location. However if you ever had to wipe away blood in a play space where paper towels were scarce you don’t laugh about a tissue pack in an emergency kit.

The kit I have put together might not be perfect but it has proven itself in emergencies. If you feel I have forgotten something important please send me an e-mail.

Gloves

Gloves are the basis for every wound care. It prevents the wound from being infected with bacteria from your hand (if you put them on in a correct way) and protects you from possible infections. I have to admit that I don’t carry sterile one in my kit but use hand sanitizer on them before touching the injured person.

Band-aid & Adhesive Tape

Don’t really know what to write about band-aids. Should a no brainer and should be kept in a separate plastic bag to prevent it from possible contamination.

Gauze Bandage & Compresses

If a band-aid is not enough these are the right tools to staunch a wound. To some this might sound a bit overkill and I have to admit that I luckily never had to use mine. Yet I have seen suspension setups failing, tall people walking against arches and getting lacerations on their forehead. Again: Better be safe than sorry.

First Aid Blanket

Another better safe than sorry item. I can hardly think of a play induced injury that would require a first aid blanket but they are useful after a circulatory collapse or hypoglycemia.

Tissue

Tissues are quite versatile objects: You can use them as an impro compress, turn them into alcohol wipes or simple wipe away blood.

Disinfection

There are three different kinds of disinfection products in my bag. The most important one is my 90% alcohol solution. Some disinfection sprays have additives which make them a bit more effective but can cause skin irritations. Because of that I use alcohol to sanitize abrased skin like a flogged back or my toys after using them. If the wound is deeper or larger I use a wound spray which also disinfects and helps the wound heal. Yet the one I use stings even more than alcohol so I use it only in emergencies. The last disinfection product is sanitizing hand gel which can be incorporated into play p.e. messaging it into the skin area.

Ointment

There are a number of different ointments out there for different purposes, like panthenol for abrased skin or zinc oxide for treating burns. Because space in my bag is limited I chose a diaper rash ointment which is sold in travel size. With panthenol, zinc oxide, chamomile and marigold extract it is not as potent as a pure wound ointments yet I like it for its versatility. It is good enough for a first treatment, potent enough to (almost) restore worn nipple over night for another scene and soothes abused sphincter after a heavy fisting.

Horse Ointment

This product raises the most eye brows. Originally designed to help horses recover after races this gel has a lot of soothing, cooling and anti-bruise ingredients. Especially when you have damaged joints this ointment works wonder after stress bondage or kneeling! The smell is a bit hate it or love it but it magically restores mobility over night.

Emergency Hardware

EMT Scissors, Emergency Knife, Belt Cutter & Multi Tool

Please read last week’s article why I consider these tools essential. I usually have at least a pair of EMT scissors in my play bag but in an emergency I don’t want to search but just quickly grab thus I keep an additional one in my bright red bag.

Flash light

Another eye brow raiser in my kit. I once attended a play party when there was a power failure and the dungeon went dark and through the following turmoil my sub started to panic. Undoing a sub in total darkness is no fun so I now carry a flash light with me. It comes in also handy when you look for keys, nipple clamps or other small stuff you tend to loose in a dark space.

Consolatury Candy for After Scene Care.

Chocolate, Consolatory Cookies & Dextrose

While both candies are useful when you are playing with a person suffering from diabetes these are more aftercare items. A BDSM scene puts the body in a state of alertness and thus mobilizes emergency resources which is quite exhausting for the sub. While the endorphin level is high and this state continues you don’t feel how spent you are. In order to prevent a crash I give and take dextrose after a scene. The chocolate has the same effect but also has a bit of rewarding component. Maybe the top pushed you onto your edge and beyond and I have some of the fondest memories cuddling with my top after an intense scene happily munching my chocolate and cookies.

Cough & Iceland Moos

When you have incorporated gases into your breath play like poppers in the aftermath you lungs and airways could be irritated, phlegm and you can experience problems breathing. Strong cough drops help clear the airways and Iceland moos helps regenerate the irritated areas.

Condoms & Lube

Again as with the EMT scissors: The emergency kit is the place where I know that I definitely have a stash in case of a horniness emergency.

This was the last part of the Bondage Hardware Special. I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any suggestions or comments, please let me know.

Sticking to the theme there will be a special on Heavy Bondage toys soon.

The last four weeks were about different means to fetter a sub whether with rope or how to most effectively use all the great other bondage gear that is out there. But what if something goes wrong and you can’t release the sub out of the bondage setup? This article is about different tools that in a case of emergency will help release a sub in a secure way. Usually this goes to the cost of the bondage gear but better replace a rope or restraint than having to go to the emergency room! If you are hesitant about your precious and expensive ropes, buy them from Twisted Monk. He will give you a discount when you replace cut ropes because like me he values the sub’s security over the preservation of gear.

Mr S Safety Scissors

Scissors

Scissors are the most essential safety tools of a playroom if you don’t use chain or metal wire for bondage. If you buy the right ones they will cut the sub out of restraints with jammed locks, release mummified bondage bottoms and slice band aids in the right length. To my own surprise I still see high quality kitchen scissors in playroom with the argument that they cut really well. While having a kitchen scissor is better than having none I would not recommend using them. Due to their pointy end they can cause injuries. Instead buy emergency scissors. You can get them in any good fetish stores (like Mr S or Regulation) and most of the time they are surprisingly cheaper there than in pharmacies and drug stores. These emergency scissors are good for the most common playroom emergencies like cutting rope, leather or Segufix restraints. If you are into heavier bondage like fiberglass casting or you high resistance gear incorporating Kevlar I would recommend investing more money. There are safety scissors out there used in ambulances to cut bikers out of Kevlar reinforced bike gear. The costs 200€+ but are well worth the money if you play that heavy.

Bolt Cutters

If you fancy steel over leather and rope this are your safety scissors. Bolt cutters will open jammed locks, cut steel wires or bend open chain elements or D-rings if necessary. Bolt cutters are usually certified for maximum thickness of steel they can handle. I would recommend you to buy a model that can handle 20% more than your thickest chain just to have a safety margin. There are people out there who use die grinders or oscillating tools for cutting metal. While they are quicker and require no brute force to cut through metal I would not recommend them. In order not to harm the sub he needs to lay still and the person using the tools needs a calm hand, both conditions that are usually not met in a case of emergency.

Finally a word about the materials a bolt cutter can cut: Usually they are designed to cut steel. Because aluminum is a rather tough metal most bolt cutters can’t cut it so you need different means to cut open most climbing carabiners.

Emergency Knife for Rope Cutting with a Belt Cutter

Emergency Knife

This kind of knife is designed to cut through tough material in cases of emergency. They come in different varieties. Mine is designed to be place under a rope and sever through it without any danger for the person lying under the rope. There are also versions out there with a point end that can cut through tougher material like Kevlar but naturally with this design can potentially injure the sub. All blades have a mechanical locking mechanism so even when applying great force the blade won’t close. A nifty thing is that most emergency knifes have a belt cutter on one end.

Belt Cutter

For most of my bondage setups I use tension belts made out of nylon. This special cutter cuts through them like butter if they are taut. Some of them even cut through thin strings. Because unlike scissors you don’t have to open and close the belt cutter in some situations they are a quicker way to cut someone free.

Leatherman Multi Tool

Multi Tool

This article is called security hardware so this is the right place to talk about multi tools. While the tools describe above are designed to release subs out of a predicament this is more of a precaution tool. Sometimes you see a loose screw, a rough edge or other imperfections in your playroom you usually would not necessarily fix right away because you would need to get your tools. Sadly these little things can cause big problems. Because of that I keep a multi tool in the playroom for all the little things that need to be fixed right away. Besides that multi tools come with scissors, a knife, needle-nosed pliers and reamers. While they might not be strong enough or designed for injury protection when used close to humans they are better than nothing when you need a tool fast. Some multi tools even come with a set of hexes which is useful when you dislocated the hex to open the ball stretcher.

While there are a lot of inexpensive multi tools sold, I strongly recommend investing the money into a quality brand product. Most other multi tools are so flimsy that pose a threat in their own.

While the tools presented in this article help to prevent greater injuries sometimes it might be too late. So in the next and thus last part of the Bondage Hardware Special I will take you on a tour through my emergency bag and thus through all the things I consider essential to keep at hand when playing hard.