Woollen Kidney or Belly Warmer or Haramaki To Stay Warm In The Outdoors?

[Monk]

I came across recently in the online Daily Mail an article on staying warm with tips from experts. One of the items they mentioned was a Haramaki-the Japanese term for a belly warmer.

Doing a bit of searching and reading around these items are referred to as woollen kidney warmers or back warmers on the internet.

Has anyone ever tried out this back warmer idea to stay warmer in the outdoors? Basically the idea is an extra layer of material around your lower midsection-kidney area helps overall body warmth. It seems like an old idea but I have not heard about it before.

Any users or anyone hear of this lore?

 

[woof]

I used something similar many years ago when i road a motorbike & wore 2 piece leathers. Get an extra long scarf & see if it works for you.

Rob

 

[Toddy]

We used to wear them as very young children......loooong time ago They were hand knitted ribbed sort of short tubes that went around your middle.
Very cosy as I recall, especially in those bitter cold non centrally heated times.

Gone like the dodo, and the wrist warmers and knee warmers of the hand knitting of the past.

I can find you patterns, but I suspect that the scarf wrapped and tucked in might do fine. That said, the knitted wool ribbing moved with the body but stayed where it was supposed to.

Surely someone makes kidney belts nowadays though ? bit of lycra in with the mix and it'll hold fine.

cheers,
Toddy

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/197243658652806857/

£20 for this one :yikes: for a bit of lycra ?
http://www.hippsy.co.uk/product.php?id_product=10

 

[rg598]

It used to be pretty common in the old days in Bulgaria. My grand father used to wear one. It was part of the clothing that was regularly worn. It has no advantage over a vest or a shirt of similar thickness. You can see it in some of the pictures here: http://www.omda.bg/public/engl/ethnography/male_costumes_en.htm

 

[Toddy]

Those look more like cummerbands than kidney belts, Ross.
Different thing. Kidney belts were worn next to the skin under your vest and were a warm layer under everything else.
Cummerbands kind of kept breeks and shirts tidy around the middle and were often decorative. Kidney belts were for the colder weather and of simple plain ribbed knitting.

cheers,
M

 

[Clouston98]

I have for a pair of Deerhunter trousers that ride high around the kidneys with an insulated section to keep your kidneys warm, works a treat . Good luck on your search .

 

[weekender]

When I was a brickie back in the day I worked with an old guy who always used to tell me off for not keeping my back warm tie a jumper round your waist he used to say. I've always stuck by that and touch wood I've not had too many problems. Mind you playing rugby never helped it!!!!

 

[rg598]

Those look more like cummerbands than kidney belts, Ross.
Different thing. Kidney belts were worn next to the skin under your vest and were a warm layer under everything else.
Cummerbands kind of kept breeks and shirts tidy around the middle and were often decorative. Kidney belts were for the colder weather and of simple plain ribbed knitting.

cheers,
M

I didn't know kidney belts were worn under the clothing. That being said, the ones int he picture that go outside the clothing are also made of wool, and used for insulation. I remember telling my grandfather to take it off when we were working because it was hot. His answer was "What? You want me to catch a cold?"

 

[shaggystu]

SWMBO rides a motorbike and she's on the slender side of thin. On occasion she wears a buff around her middle, not a belly warmer as such but it does serve to keep other layers in their proper places and stop her from getting cold in her lower back. It works pretty well, but only if you're a size 8 or under

 

[Toddy]

I didn't know kidney belts were worn under the clothing. That being said, the ones int he picture that go outside the clothing are also made of wool, and used for insulation. I remember telling my grandfather to take it off when we were working because it was hot. His answer was "What? You want me to catch a cold?"

I think those wide belt type cummerbands were really quite practical as well as being a warmth. Suited the costume of the people too.
Our fickle climate makes a kidney belt a good thing, sometimes None of the builder's bum, iimmc.

Good idea with the buff Shaggystu There are much wider ones available in fine wool; their intended for ladies who want them to sit loosely over their hair, snoods, so that might do very well for larger sizes. I tried one of mine and it was a squeeze getting it over the bustline, but it's very comfortable around my waist and tummy

cheers,
Toddy

 

[nitrambur]

They do make a Top-Buff no idea about sizing though

 

[shaggystu]

...Good idea with the buff Shaggystu ....

I shall tell Gemma you said so

 

[shaggystu]

They do make a Top-Buff no idea about sizing though

mmmmmmm, leopard print, classy

 

[Kilbith]

That being said, the ones int he picture that go outside the clothing are also made of wool, and used for insulation. I remember telling my grandfather to take it off when we were working because it was hot. His answer was "What? You want me to catch a cold?"

They were also used when you need to work with strentgh in the old time (flannelle belt). Another reason was that very often people had linen shirt, and linen is very strong but worst than cotton in the cold (with sweat). So they had to put wool on the linen.

The kidney belts were quite common in the old time. Hunter use them until nowadays, normally wool/angora rabbit kind and also people with arthritic problems :

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

Im a big believer in warm kidneys making you feel warmer overall. My theory is that where your clothing joins is an access point for draughts. Add to that if you are sat round a fire the back of you gets little radiant heat. My preference is for bib trews which come well up the body but i can see how a scarf or other wool item would work.

My nan always used to say "put your coat on or you'll catch a chill on your kidneys"

 

[Toddy]

Linen isn't worse than cotton; it's much better. The long fibres wick away sweat and moisture. It was more commonly worn under wool since it is easily laundered while wool isn't.

Cotton however is short staple and it's a thirsty fibre and stays wet.

Nettle, linen and hemp are all better than cotton against the skin, but the long fibres didn't do well when industrialisation first came in. They need to be spun damp, while cotton's short (very much shorter, an inch is fairly long for cotton) was both cheaper to produce (still slave labour then) and to use with machinery.
Basically cotton won in the race to be industrially produced.
It's a very, very good fibre and cloth, but don't get it wet in a damp, cool climate.

Good illustration you found there of warming comfort clothes ....the lady is missing her liberty bodice though.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Snooky]

I have a motorbike one made from neoprene that I have used a few times in winter when out and about, gives a good bit of support to the lower back as well