Viking, along with the belt pouch the early trappers as well as some today wear a "ceinture fleche" as long as 12-20' depending on the owner, that served multiple purposes, as a hernia belt such as the weightlifter use many "voyageur ruptured themselves with the very heavy loads they use to carry on the portages, as a purse in itself (in the folds), as tool beltholder: knife, tomahawk, pipe, tobacco pouch etc..., as a rope to tie off and guide a canoe down some parts of the river that was to shallow for a full load. Also the belt showed the area you came from and the style of the maker and it kept your shirt tucked in to act as a stop for shirt carried items, very usefull
just a thought