<re-delurks after several years> OK, I'm not female (maybe I should change the subject line?), but I'm enjoying this thread... Keri writes: > Agreed, fantasy is such an integral part of it at times to get the > full effect, and without a reasonable scenario its hard to get into > that headspace. The setup is important, and i tend to slip back into > thinking about it through the experience every once in awhile to keep > the mood. I'm a little different; I enjoy the restraint itself, and really like to believe I can't get out, but I'm not too fussed about the fantasy. (I *do* fantasize, but not (much) during self-bondage.) The few times I've really got myself into trouble have been amazing experiences, for a while anyway (until I've managed to myself off, at which point I usually want out *now*). Thus I tend to like strenuous, and frankly difficult self-bondage scenarios, including suspension. Especially suspension. (All my earliest SB schemes were suspensions -- we're going back to about age 6 here, and I *think* I had these leanings at about age 2 -- I guess I was just born kinky.) (Maybe I've just got lucky, but apart from one case many many years ago I've never been really stuck. It's amazing what the human body can do when it's really in the shit -- I have several items of busted bondage gear that demonstrates this. And I've never missed a phone call while in SB -- I've even physically broken out of metal handcuffs to get to the phone in time. Call me highly strung, but phone ringers do that to me...) Philip the Foole <ptf@ix.netcom.com> wrote: > > Keri: Though I have always been able to get > myself free, getting the hook to catch the zipper of an armbinder when > you're the one wearing it can be HARD (garbage twisty ties really help > when getting yourself IN ;) since with putting your weight into it, > they break away) > > Foole: What a clever idea! That's the most original self-bondage trick > I've seen in a long time. What do you use for a "fail-safe" in case the > zipper jams or you are unable to connect to the hook? Struggle, probably. :-) I made a home-brew armbinder out of some old vinyl flooring material and packing tape. It has loops on the front and back of the top of the binder, through which passes a nylon webbing strap with a double-d-ring one-way tensioning thingy. I slip each arm through this, jam the end of the looped strap in a door, put my arms in the binder and pull. The binder slides up my arms, pulling the elbows to about 3" apart. Getting out is a little trickier. Because the strap is not crossed in front, if it can be pulled off the shoulder, the binder slides down enough that I can get my arms out again. I usually use a doorknob for this, although a door frame or other edge alone can sometimes be used, albeit with some difficulty. I don't do this very often, mainly because although I'm limber enough that my elbows can be pulled together, any real backward strain on my shoulders cuts something off, and my hands & arms go numb within about five minutes. This is Unpleasant. And a darn nuisance, coz for the little while before the pins & needles kick in it's a delicious piece of restraint. :-) I did once manage to arrange things so that I didn't go numb, so I'd be rather interested to know what's likely to be getting cut off (I think it's in the shoulders rather than elbows) so I can figure out the trick I missed before as to how to wear this thing "comfortably"... R.