In my room late at night, the door locked, the radio playing, and me on my waterbed pumping away.
- age 16, Texas
In a densely wooded area, like a national park, at 4 o'clock in the morning. There, with the moon shining bright and camping out about a quarter-mile from the rest of the campers, I would start moaning silently, gradually increasing the speed of strokes (and the sound of my screams). Just before orgasm I'd warn the whole world I'm about to ejaculate. and then give the biggest yell ever! That'd be awesome, especially if it woke up the whole crowd of campers.
- age 23, Texas
When I have a really good session, I am usually in the bathroom with the hot tub. I am alone, with just the soothing sound of the tub's jets. All the lights are off except for one little spotlight directly over the tub. I find this works best at night, since I have waited all day for the right time to do it. The steam fills the room and makes for a very erotic environment. Steam is always good.
- age 15, North Dakota
I like to masturbate in my dorm room with the door unlocked; I guess I like the risk. When it's nighttime and I'm listening to the sounds of people in the halls, it always heightens the experience.
- age 18, Michigan
I've done this a couple of times, and it was great: When my family goes camping, after evening as the sun is setting, I walk to the far side of an island near shore. I sit on a log near the water and go at it. There is no one there and no sounds except the water and the odd bird. Just the feeling of masturbating in nature makes it that much better. Cleanup is pretty easy – just let it fly into the water and wipe up with a tissue.
- age 16, Canada
I find that room temperature is important. I like to be totally nude when I want to masturbate in leisure, and it's no fun to be cold. It's also important to have a couple of pillows to support my back. I like to concentrate on what I'm doing, so I don't like to have music on or anything.
- age 24, Pennsylvania
I like lots of privacy and time. I am almost always home, either in the bathroom or my bedroom. I like to light a candle and put on some music. It's best when nobody is home because I like to be able to make noise.
- age 16, New Jersey (female)
In my four years of masturbating I've learned setting is the most important element. In fact, just an hour ago, I masturbated in my swimming pool. It was dark, and the cool water felt really erotic. I have to say it was one of the greatest orgasms I've ever had, and it was because of where I was. To anyone who wants to have a fantastic orgasm, I suggest you fantasize about a place where you've never done it before, and then go do it. You don't have to go out in public – I don't suggest that – just go someplace new. Someplace like your parents' bed, someone else's house, or your swimming pool.
- age 17, Connecticut
Being outside is important – beautiful scenery, especially Perth's clear skies...I love it. As I am uncircumcised I don't need lube, so it's easier. But the perfect masturbation setting would have to be back down on my bed and looking at the glow-in-the-dark stars covering my ceiling.
- age 14, Australia
I love to masturbate really any time of day, although usually it's when I first get up and then when I get home from work (yes, I've done it there, too). It's great during the hotter parts of the year when I can turn down the air and let things really start to heat up. I'm usually worked up enough to get a sweat going, but with the extra heat, pools of sweat start to form all over me. It just feels great imagining I'm with someone else (when there's nobody to play with), getting all hot, sticky, and sweaty.
- age 27, Tennessee
I like it to be cool. Hot, sweaty sessions are quite disgusting.
- age 18, Michigan
Well, light doesn't matter; the fewer distractions from my fantasies, the better, so I keep my eyes shut. The door always gets locked. Sounds are only those I imagine a partner making. And, of course, I'm usually limited to my bedroom.
- age 16, Canada (female)
I think 50% of the experience is mental, and it's at its best if you have a mental image in your mind of someone else and/or yourself in some kind of erotic scene. I've always been quite effeminate in my approach to loads of stuff, and I agreed with the JackinForHer approach of taking your time and letting your mind do a little wandering – after all, masturbation's a simulation of sex, so why not imagine you're actually having it?
- age 16, England
The bedroom is my favorite place – just before going to sleep. The room is usually dark, with some light jazz softly playing in the background and the sounds of nature through the open windows as I stroke myself to a satisfying orgasm, clean up, and drift off to a pleasant sleep.
- age 44, Connecticut
For me, being outdoors in the high Sierras is the perfect external setting for masturbation. My very favorite is to be alongside a beautiful mountain stream in a mixture of sun and shade, listening to the gurgle of the water as I masturbate, and feeling a cool breeze blow over me. My next favorite is at night, looking up at the incredible stars and Milky Way as I masturbate into a sock. It's a perfect way to complement a hard hike and the exhilaration of being in such a wonderful setting.
- age 29, California
I love to masturbate during thunderstorms and rain storms. I like to hear the thunder. If it rains, I like to go outside, get naked, and masturbate. I love to feel the water running down my chest and stomach. The water is a good lube, too. Living in ³Tornado Alley² I am able to do this a lot.
- age 16, Texas
It always seems my really good masturbation sessions are in my room when I'm lying on my bed. I really love my room – it's decorated the way I like it and has all the things I love in it. I guess it's the personal nature of my room that makes me feel good and heightens my senses. I sometimes masturbate with music on, and the swells in the melodies sometimes occur with my orgasms, and that's always really cool. It doesn't matter what time of day, but I usually masturbate when I'm home alone so I can leave the door open, giving a feeling of privacy as well as a feeling that I might be seen.
- age 17, Florida (female)
The best setting would be in my friend's classic car while on a cross-country trip. Just taking time off work and seeing what's out there, then relieving the tension that builds up with one another. Nothing kinky or out-of-line – just celebrating the fact that we are both males. We would just park somewhere for a rest and bring up the topic and take it from there. I wish I could do that.
- age 23, Pennsylvania
It's become my dream to create a big heated jelly dome! Just the wonderful feeling of the gelatin squeezing between my legs, my testicles...the slurping sound as my hand flies through the jelly – ahhhh. The light passing through the curved glass and through the jelly...mmmm.
- age 13, Canada
Call me simple, but I prefer to be in my room with the door locked, with the room as dark as possible (before bed is most common...but also in the morning). Having a radio on is nice sometimes, to drown out any noise I might be making.
- age 20, Texas
The best is when you know you will have the house to yourself for a few hours so you can do anything you want. Personally it gives me time to get in the mood and get anything I need to use as visuals (movies or magazines). Because when you're by yourself and have the time, you can take things nice and slow – or you can go fast and have time for another round! And you don't have to rush to clean up.
- age 18, Massachusetts
It's exciting to masturbate outdoors in the cold, and it's fun in the presence of other people; it's great lying on a bed or in the grass. Masturbation is terrific in bright light so you can see your penis, and it's great in the dark, especially when other people are there but can't see what you're doing. It's fun in a house, it's rad in a box, it's cool with a fox. External conditions don't matter; it's great to hold your penis and stroke it until you ejaculate – anytime, anywhere. But I wouldn't do it in church. I'm kind of prudish that way.
- age 19, Nebraska
I love masturbating in the woods. It is very erotic, and being free and naked in the woods gets me extremely horny!
- age 20, Florida
The best place for me is in total darkness, on all fours so my testicles can hang. I like having some soft jazz in the background. I always do it at night. I can't get into it during the day, unless I'm really horny.
- age 15, Missouri
For starters I like a nice, warm bath with the only light provided by candles. Soft music and wine are nice, too. I love to masturbate while taking a bath. If I'm in bed, all the previous conditions are necessary. (Save for the bath, of course!) In addition, I also need my vibrator and body oil. For this lady, masturbation isn't something to be rushed. Right, girls?
- age 36, California (female)
My favorite setting is late night or early morning, when it is pitch dark outside, hot, and raining. I love to hear the sound of rain while I masturbate.
- age 17, Missouri
This might sound weird, but public-bathroom conditions really turn me on. I'll go sit on the toilet, and the smell of stale urine and my excrement turns me on. Even with girls, I like natural smells. Forget about perfumes and stuff. I think it has to do with pheromones.
- age 21, Massachusetts
I masturbate at least once a day no matter what. However, I really like to masturbate outside. The best time is when it's dark, warm, and you can hear all those outdoor sounds. It is really nice when there is a light wind rustling through the trees. I recommend that everyone try it!
- age 18, Iowa
An ideal session for me consists of total privacy at night, with some Portishead playing in the background. I find that my imagination is always more stimulated during the evening.
- age 17, Canada (female)
I am totally naked. The room is semi-dark and quiet, permitting me to concentrate solely on myself and my needs. During the entire session I would need to recline on a soft, horizontal surface, since I can become extremely convulsive during ejaculation. I would employ lubricants generously and, to prevent any staining from lubricants or semen, I'd lie on a large, absorptive towel. I will have watched erotic videos (including some of myself masturbating) so when the time comes to undress I am fully ready for my self-love experience. I close my eyes and lie down, pretending the world's most expert masturbator is waiting there, ready to take me to the ultimate, most undreamed-of orgasm.
- age 35, Washington
If I plan to masturbate for an extended amount of time, I usually switch on my black light. It gives my room a sensual look, with all the reflected light off the walls. Most of the time I have some sort of laid-back rock or techno music playing. Stroking along to the music helps me build up to a better orgasm.
- age 19, Minnesota
I try to get everything (and I mean everything) quiet. Once I tried to masturbate with the TV on in the background, and I never realized it – but the whole time I was thinking about what was on TV, which ruined it.
- age 14, South Carolina (female)
I really love going to an XXX theater and masturbating with other men who can see what I am doing. That really turns me on.
- age 41, Australia
It is late Friday night, it's dark, and I'm on the phone with my girlfriend. The door is locked and everyone else is asleep. We talk sexy, and it turns us on and we masturbate over the phone.
- age 13, Ohio
Total privacy in my bedroom, in the evening before I go to bed. Jazz with a good sax playing in the background, not too loud. Small lamp, low light. A bottle of lube. A beach towel. My buck-naked body, lying on my back so I can see my hairy chest and my right hand stroking my penis. Slowly stroking, building speed, until the pressure builds and I ejaculate with a great orgasm.
- age 25, California
Privacy, thunderstorm, love talk and slow jams on the radio, low lighting...no, wait – that's for making love.
- age 16, Washington, D.C.
I'll just say this: Any setting, plenty of privacy, no sounds, any amount of light, and any time (and I *do* mean ANY time!) of day are perfect for me.
- age 15, Texas