Best filling for "rice socks"?

[1love4ever]

In the past when I have made rice socks I have used white rice.  I am wondering if other fillers such as corn, buckwheat, flax seeds, brown rice, etc would hold heat better, or does it make a difference?   I want to make at least one, maybe 2, for when I am in labor.  I have loved the smell of them after they are heated ever since I was a child.  Do you know if the smell differs if you use a different filling, even if it is just white vs brown rice?

Thanks!

[ChristyMarie]

Dried beans hold the heat much longer.

To soften it up a bit you can do a mix of beans and rice.

[1love4ever]

Oh really?  I haven not heard that one before!  good idea!  Do the beans smell bad when you microwave them?  Do they last as long as the rice socks do?

[beanma]

You can use feed corn, too. Don't use popcorn, though. The larger the filling the longer it holds heat, but it's a little lumpier and not quite as smooth to mold to a body part. You can also put in some essential oils or herbs. I have one that is filled with corn and it always smelled like popcorn when I heated it up, but then I heated it up too much and now it smells like burnt popcorn. Still works great, though.

[larablue]

I have tried canola/rapeseed on a market last week.

I liked it very much- very smooth and hold the heat well.

[kimmypoo]

I bought some that had cherry pits and they worked well though a bit lumpy. Recently, I put lentils in one of hubby's old socks. It worked great. I really liked it better, not lumpy at all.

[MommyThea]

Originally Posted by beanma 

You can use feed corn, too. Don't use popcorn, though. The larger the filling the longer it holds heat, but it's a little lumpier and not quite as smooth to mold to a body part. You can also put in some essential oils or herbs. I have one that is filled with corn and it always smelled like popcorn when I heated it up, but then I heated it up too much and now it smells like burnt popcorn. Still works great, though.

Oh my goodness. The thought makes me really lol!  

I've done the rice, but I'm really interested in the lentils.     Do they have a 'smell' when warmed up?

[kimmypoo]

Originally Posted by MommyThea 

Oh my goodness. The thought makes me really lol!  

I've done the rice, but I'm really interested in the lentils.     Do they have a 'smell' when warmed up?

I never noticed a smell with them. :)

[Beauchamp]

I have one I bought that's filled with flax seeds. Too long in the microwave *once* and it smells burned in a bad way. My other homemade one is just plain white rice with a few drops of lavender EO.

[1love4ever]

I found some expired rice in my dads cupboards so decided to use it for rice socks.  In a sock I put some long grain brown rice, and on top of that(since it was not full yet) I put some white minute rice.  When I microwaved it the brown rice held heat for much much longer!  But it did not smell near as good.  i also like the feel of it better in the sock.

[alison77]

i read somewhere that barley is really good for holding heat, but now that i'm looking it up online i can't find that again.  did find some that talk about lentils staying hot for 15-20 minutes, which is WAY longer than my rice bags ever did!  going to the store tomorrow to pick some up as i need a new supply of rice bags:)