TransTape Vs. The Elements

30aug

TransTape Vs. The Elements

by Jamie Blum 0 comment(s) Blog

TransTape is some pretty amazing stuff. Personally, I think being waterproof is one of the best features and helps make it adventure proof for even the most extreme travelers. Whether you're hanging out in a desert for fun, singing in the rain or swimming in crystal clear water, TransTape has you covered for days at a time.

Welcome, good friends!

And acquaintances, soon to be new friends.

We are gathered here today for a very important conversation about TransTape and how it will get you through any and every part of your day.

There is no element, let's not talk about fire, that can withstand the unapologetic wrath of TransTape.

Anything your day throws at you, TransTape can catch and throw to second.

You can be a hiker, a swimmer, an Olympic bobsledder, it doesn't matter!

No matter how extreme, or mellow, your lifestyle is, fear not.

This may not be your first blog post, but it could be, so we're going to have a super fast review on what TransTape is before we really get into it.

This way, you'll have a better understanding about how incredible it is.

If you're not new to TransTape, feel free to skip ahead to the next section so you can see how well TransTape withstood my scientific trials.

You won't hurt my feelings, the scientific trials are pretty enticing.

What Is TransTape?

Some may know it as the Holy Grail.

It may not actually be the Holy Grail but it's some pretty good stuff.

Most importantly though, understand that TransTape is for everyone.

That even includes those of us with sensitive skin, too!

TransTape can be used as a compression free alternative to binders.

But it can also be an incredible alternative to gaffes, bras and other gender affirming products.

The adhesive used on TransTape is a hypoallergenic medical grade acrylic adhesive and is latex-free and non-medicated.

And the flexible material we know and love as TransTape is made from a blend of 95% cotton and 5% spandex.

Unlike the average binder, TransTape is meant for long term wear and to last through your daily activities.

No matter the day.

Beach day spent in the ocean? Covered. A full day of gardening in the sun? Covered. A rainy day spent inside reading your favorite book or playing your favorite game? Covered.

And not just for the day, for up to the next week!

Unlike binders where you can only safely wear them for hours at a time.

You can wear TransTape for up to a week, but the average use is typically around the 3-5 day mark.

Which for a lot of us, will get us through a work week.

Scientific Trials

My hypothesis for this experiment was as follows.

If TransTape is properly applied, then it will withstand even the muddiest Spartan Race.

If you follow me on Instagram, you may know that I enjoy being active and am always taped up and ready for the next adventure.

I didn't find the tape, the tape found me.

Recently, I ran my second Spartan Sprint 5k in the Poconos and it really gave the tape a run for its money.

Leading up to race day, the course was bombarded with rain, thunder and lightening. Making the race extra wet, extra muddy and extra difficult.

And the rain showers during my own race were the cherries on top.

So considering TransTape survived rain, mud, blood, sweat and salty tears, I figured this was a golden opportunity to highlight how durable it really is.

Okay and maybe so I could brag a little bit. I mean come on, what a guy.

As you can see here, I am starting off mostly mud free and with an application of TransTape that is approximately 48 hours old at this point.

By the end this was certainly not the case.

Rain & Pond

For our first round of evidence we have rain and pond water.

You can kinda see the downpour of rain in this photo.

If you can't see the rain, you can definitely see how drenched and covered in mud I am.

Even after almost 4 miles of battling the weather, my 2 day old tape stayed in place no problem.

Spartan was also kind enough to include a water crossing obstacle this time around too.

So thoughtful.

I am about 5 foot 4 on a good day so I embraced the full body dunk.

Do you see my face? Some plant touched me. It was terrifying.

Being up to my neck at some parts of the pond, my TransTape was exposed to the refreshing water for a good amount of time.

And it did its job too!

I walked through a pond and had to go underneath a barrier in the middle, meaning I was completely under water.

Did TransTape hesitate?

It did not.

And neither did I!

I didn't stress or worry about my TransTape for even a second during this entire event.

Mud & Blood

I know I already blew you away with my last point, but I'm just getting started.

We have more ground to cover.

Or mud, rather.

Before it even rained, Spartan is always sure to make their courses a muddy mess.

I love it.

The barbed wire at this specific venue was a menace to society and we were all falling victim to it. Except TransTape.

This Poconos obstacle actually became a topic of controversy in the Spartan community afterwards.

Not only was it raining, there were volunteers with hoses flooding the obstacle even more to ensure that everyone was covered in mud before they crossed the finish line. They enjoyed it too.

Can't say I'm mad about it because that's half the fun in running one of these races.

The mud was simply no match for TransTape, or me, and we flew by without compromising our application.

Compression free binding, even during an obstacle course race.

I never intended to prove whether or not TransTape was accident proof but turns out, it is.

I may have made it past the barbed wire but it still left a mark.

I got a little excited and moved a little too fast through the barbed wire and ended up getting bit.

It's all worth it in the name of Science though, now we know TransTape is also accident proof.

Sweat & Tears

I believe anyone is capable of completing a Spartan race.

I think it's mostly a mental strength test but that doesn't mean you don't have to really work for it and get your blood pumping.

Meaning, you're going to get sweaty.

Last time I wasn't able to climb the rope and this time around I climbed it like I meant it and rang that bell.

In my personal life, I enjoy staying active and typically you will find me at the gym about 5 times a week.

But these races still put me to the test and leave me exhausted.

I even take the following day off work to recover.

There's not a single point when I'm running one of these races where I'm not breaking a sweat.

You are almost always moving and always pushing yourself.

Even when I'm giving my maximum effort and sweating like nobody's business, TransTape stays in place and shows no sign of giving up.

My tape didn't even think about peeling while I was climbing ropes, scaling walls, carrying stones and sandbags.

This stuff is no joke! The durability is impressive and allowed me to be my most authentic self and compete along side cis men without questioning myself.

That is the true triumph.

It's also not really about winning when I run these, by the way.

I run them to stay active, have fun and most importantly, to continually test and improve myself.

A way to kind of hold myself accountable to self improvement.

I haven't been able to pass the monkey bars in a Spartan yet and as much as that drives me crazy, I love having a challenge.

You can see that I'm not too sure of myself and that's because I knew as soon as I tried for the next bar, it was over.

Metaphorical tears were shed when I couldn't get to the second bar but fear not, TransTape is actually tear proof too.

I only cried for Science.

But that's okay because I absolutely killed the rope climb right before that.

Results

In conclusion to my scientific trials, we can clearly see that my hypothesis was correct and there is no reason to experiment further.

If you decide to experiment further anyways, just know that you will be stuck in an endless loop of consistently proving me right over and over again.

So please, feel free.

I've always enjoyed dabbling in fitness and other adrenaline pumping hobbies like skydiving.

But before TransTape, I felt very limited.

I enjoyed going to the gym and hiking and a bunch of different physical activities but I didn't always have the confidence to do them as often as I would've liked.

When I started using TransTape, that completely changed for me and I was able to finally pursue my crazy dreams and ideas.

I felt validated and more like myself than I had ever felt in my entire life.

TransTape gave me the confidence to chase what seemed like even the craziest goals.

Out of over 1900 men who ran that 5k, I was 324. Out of my age group for men, I ranked 41 out of 332. I was ranked in the top 13 percent of male racers. Reading my stats from that race was one of the most validating experiences of my life. And I ran it shirtless!

And I know I've mentioned it once or twice before, but I'm going to say it again anyways because this is so important to understand.

You don't have to be an extreme athlete or explorer to tape up.

You don't have to be anything but yourself.

TransTape is for everyone, no matter the lifestyle.

You really just gotta be you.

Until next time,

Stay awesome,

Stay beautiful,

Stay you.

You are loved and it gets better.

Talk to you soon,

Jamie

Welcome to the cool kids club!

My name is Jamie and I'm a young (ish) transman born and raised in the Hudson Valley of New York state. I started my transition in May of 2017 and since then, I've made it my mission to live unapologetically as myself and spread awareness through my pursuit of happiness. I am the creator and writer of Spilling T blog, a proud affiliate of TransTape and when I'm not outside with the best dog ever or hanging out with my two cats, I make and sell my own beard care products through Buckaroo's Beard Care. I'm always looking for my next adventure and have been skydiving, road-tripping, hiking in the mountains and even served for a short time in the United States Marine Corps. My life has had its fair share of twists and turns and I hope to use those experiences to create helpful and relatable content that may help someone else navigate a difficult time in life.

Beards, Socials, Tape and Writing

Use code FINALLYME10 and Find Your Freedom with TransTape!

https://linktr.ee/jamieakajames

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