Detachable Penis: Thoughts on Owning a Packer

As a trans man, I own what is sometimes called a packer--a false penis meant, not for sex, but to provide a bulge in one's pants and ease bottom dysphoria.

When you think about it, it makes sense that this is a Thing. After all, not all trans men (even those with bottom dysphoria) want a phalloplasty, and for those who do, there aren't a lot of doctors who perform them, so waiting lists are long. But a packer requires no surgery, is a lot less expensive, and can be yours within a few weeks' shipping time.

So what is a packer, how is it used, and what's it like to own one?

A packer is a piece of plastic or stuffed cloth, shaped to look like a penis and testicles. A lot of the nicer ones are made out of silicone. You wear it inside your underpants, either in underwear with a special pocket,

in a harness,

or in a special pouch that you safety-pin to your underpants.

Which one a transmasc uses depends on the kind of packer and which one he feels most comfortable wearing. Again, packers aren't meant for sex; they're meant to make you feel like you have a penis as you go about your daily life. So what's it like to have one?

My packer is an STP (stand-to-pee) model. This means that I can pee through it. STP packers are a little bit stiffer than other packers, simply because you have to have something solid enough to pee through. As a side-effect of this, unless you are careful how you position it, it can look like you have a permanent erection. (Whoops.)

Wearing a packer is easy. Most harnesses, pouches, and packer underwear are really easy to use and figure out. Bear in mind you'll probably want more than one of whichever form of packer-carrier you use, so you can wash them. (Yes, packer holders can be washed with your laundry. Just make sure the packer isn't still inside it first.)

A lot of sites that sell packers point out that you have to practice using an STP in the shower before peeing with it at a toilet or urinal. They are not kidding. Not only do you need to learn how to aim, but if your STP isn't a perfect fit, it can leak. You really do not want to find out about this when you're out and about and get pee all over your clothes. Practice first!

A silicone packer like mine is cold to the touch when you first put it on, but it warms up to your body temperature in about 10 minutes or so. The biggest difference is that if you're used to sitting or walking with your thighs close together, you will have to stop doing that and "manspread" just a little because Something Is There now. Your whole stance changes a bit, and you need to get used to it.

The very best part is feeling that little bit more manly. I have a penis, and it is mine, and it is on my body. It may not be made out of flesh, but it is mine and it feels good to be able to say "this is my penis," even if only in your head.

Definitely schedule some alone time at home in your room when you get the darn thing, because you will have the urge to reach into your pants and touch it every few minutes for the first hour or so, just to reassure yourself that something is in there and it's not just a lovely dream. No, I'm not kidding. Yes, it's a little weird. That's why you're doing this in private. (Again, it's not even sexual; it's just the euphoria of having something there that wasn't there before.)

Again, packers aren't for everybody, but it's wonderful that they exist, and if you're transmasculine and have bottom dysphoria, you may want to try one out.