Novices and newbies discussion

My partner and I have been experimenting with a full chastity belt for about two weeks now, so we are still figuring out the routines.

The tube design means that not all urine drains right away when I go. Depending on my activity level, noticeable dark spots in my pants can appear quite some time after urinating.

Looking through discussions here, I’ve noticed occasional suggestions to use pads inside underwear for absorption. However, a lot of it feels… well… fetish-driven—wearing the pad because you wear one, rather than out of pure necessity, at least based on what search results show.

So, do people genuinely rely on pads to manage this? If yes… which types? Your wife’s menstrual pads? Or are there longer, more absorbent, or different varieties available? What underwear holds them best? Do you wear them constantly, or only when leakage might be embarrassing? What is the practical reality versus the fantasy aspect?

Thanks.