[Carl Goff]

I'm working on a fantasy novel, and there's a scene where most of the characters have to get into their armor in a hurry with minimal warning. I'm trying to figure out if they'd have enough time to put everything on, or if they'd have to skimp on some of the equipment.

They're essentially wearing late 15th/early 16th century plate, and if I'm recalling correctly, the components of that would be:

Padded jack, helm, gorget, breast-and-back, pauldrons, pieces for the upper arm (I can't recall the name), mail gussets or tassets (that bit that covers the armpit), elbow cops, vambraces, finger gauntlets, thigh plates, knee cops, and greaves. (No sabatons, for plot reasons.)

So, some questions:

Those of you who own similar suits -- how long do you usually spend putting them on? How quickly do you think you could possibly put your suit on? How long does each individual piece take to put on? Do you need help for some of the straps?

Thanks in advance for any answers, and if I've made any mistakes in the composition of the armor, please feel free to correct me. Versimilitude is important to me.

[Michael B.]

If I'm starting from scratch, I definitely need help putting my stuff on. it takes about 15 minutes to get fully suited up for me. 20/25 is a leisurely pace. In an emergency situation, with stuff on stand by and a crack squire or two, I could imagine 5 minutes. Since this is for a story, are they anticipating an attack? Because then they could already have components on, and be ready much faster.
I can get most of my leg components on, and my gorget, everything else I need help with.

[Michal Plezia]

For me it is also circa15 minutes, if I have an experienced person to help.

[Scott Hrouda]

20 minutes if I reveled a little too long the previous night.
15 minutes is my average pace.
10 minutes if everything is laid out neatly on a table and I have help.

[Peter Lyon]

20 minutes for me to get everything sitting right and comfortable and not overheat. My armour is late 14th century so more separate components than later harness where larger sections can be put on at a time.
With help and the arms and pauldrons left pointed on to my arming doublet, it could be done in under 10 minutes. Still no good in case of surprise attacks. Definitely need help to strap breast and back together, and put on arms and pauldrons (but this could be avoided by leaving them attached to the arming doublet).

[Craig Shackleton]

I'm generally in agreement with the folks above. I have a few extra points though too.

Depending how the harness is worn, you may need to put on the foundation clothing first. I wear an arming jacket that takes almost five minutes to lace up on its own. That said, if I'm expecting to wear armour later, I'll put it on early. My voiders are also attached to it (that's the mail in the armpits) though, so once it is on, so are they, and I will wear that for extended periods of time.

If I had to put on armour fast, I would just throw on a gorget and breast plate. My old pike harness, consisted of a breast and back with tassets and a a gorget. One of my friends had one with an almain collar instead of a gorget. I could put mine on without assistance in less than a minute. He needed an extra twenty or thirty seconds to do up the straps on the shoulder pieces.

My current rig is early 15th century, and is strapped a little differently. It would probably take me closer to two minutes to get the breast and back on, and I really can't buckle the front fauld to the back by myself. Also, if I put it on quickly, chances are that it will hang a little funny, which makes things more awkward and tiring.

I can also put on my arms myself pretty quickly, under a minute for each, but they wouldn't be properly pointed at the top without help. Still, I have worn them that way before I had a proper arming coat, and they aren't too awkward. They just get heavy faster. Gauntlets are easy, they go on just like gloves. I have spaulders as well, which I really can't put on by myself. They probably take as long to put on as the rest of my arms.

My legs take longer to do, but I don't need help to put them on. If I were rushing, I would probably forego them entirely. Normally I would put them on first, because they are harder to get on after the breast and back. I'd put on the breast and back first because that would be most important protection.

Hope that helps.

[Martin Wallgren]

There is alot of art depicting warriors having their legarmour on. I have made an experiment once and it is possible to sleep with the couisse (legarmour) on though it was uncomfortable I managed to get enough sleep to get me through the day after. I used to it I belive you could sleep with your cuisse on for extended periods of time on campaine or simillar. Legramour has also served me the best in fightingtests. Gives me one less target to defend and give me an easier time to protect the upper targets.

So you might have your guys already in legarmour, and have them just put on gauntlets and helmet for a fight.

[James Arlen Gillaspie]

Carl, a 'jack' is body armour in its own right, and not a foundation garment for armour. 'Arming doublet' would be better.

[Lafayette C Curtis]

On the other hand, we also have many historical accounts of men-at-arms (even, in one instance, a king) going out in nothing more than their arming garments (and perhaps a helmet) to meet a surprise attack. Most of these incidents happened in the course of sieges, so it was quite logical that the participants (both defenders and besiegers) would have kept on their padded/quilted undergarments on for most of the day so that they'd always be partially prepared for this kind of eventuality.

[Ushio Kawana]

Hi

Knights of the Battle of Pavia... The French heavy armoured knights were called gendarmes.
gendarme: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gendarme_(historical)

[Carl Goff]

Many thanks for your help, everyone.

James and Martin, I particularly appreciate the information on proper terminology and definition.