Greg guessed at what I was thinking about:

Hospitaller statute of 1206

White linen braies x3
White linen shirt x3
White linen cotta/tunic x3
Linen coif x1
White hose - one pair in linen and one in wool
White cap (likely felt) x1
Black woolen garnache and hood x1 (tunic with hood)
Black woolen mantel lined in fur for winter x1 (cape with hood)
Black woolen mantel unlined for summer x1 (cape with hood)
White linen bedding sheets x4
Linen bag for bedding x1


Woolen would indicate thicker wool, worsted wool like we use for suits was also available in the Middle Ages but woolen means thick and fuzzy, which is better for bad weather like rain.

Well, I guess that you all are right about the use of cotton. Sorry to have gone off down a blind alley, but I did learn something and perhaps others did as well.

I have no idea what the use of cotton in the Middle East was like; my statements apply to Europe. If cotton was used in the holy land then maybe they would substitute linen for fine cotton.


Not on the subject of linen vs. cotton trust me linen is your friend. Linen is made from a 6 foot tall plant meaning the fibers used to make linen cloth are about 6 feet long before you have to bind the fibers. Cotton is 3 to 6 inches long. The less you have to bind the stronger the material is and it becomes less likely to rip. Also linen is far more stain resistant, dirt resistant, and odor resistant. One last advantage it has over cotton is how it wicks sweat, cotton holds the moister and gets humid/swampy while linen wicks and evaporates sweat making you feel cooler.

Of all the clothing I have made over the years for ren fair, SCA, and reenactment all the cotton ripped while only two of my linen braies have worn out after 5 years of use; all my tunics and shirts are still in good order.

Brian,
I'll have the kit out in about a month for a couple of faires, and planning on taking some decent pictures then. It's not 100% accurate (but then what kit IS from that time period? hehe) and I don't have all the mail yet, but it's as close as we can come up with for the few actual drawings and effigies available. If you're looking at around 1250 there are some changes between the two times and that is about when the next equipment list came out. Right around 1250-1260 is when they departed from the black long tunics/cottas and went with the red gambisons or surcoates. Sad thing we don't have a whole lot on these guys before the fall of Acre, and nearly all the references I could find mainly deal with the Knights after the 14th C.

[/quote]
Hospitaller statute of 1206

White linen braies x3
White linen shirt x3
White linen cotta/tunic x3
Linen coif x1
White hose - one pair in linen and one in wool
White cap (likely felt) x1
Black woolen garnache and hood x1 (tunic with hood)
Black woolen mantel lined in fur for winter x1 (cape with hood)
Black woolen mantel unlined for summer x1 (cape with hood)
White linen bedding sheets x4
Linen bag for bedding x1


James,
Do you recall the source for that list. I'd love to get my hands on it.


Scott

Last summer i made a templar kit. I too did a lot of research and came across some describtions in the templar Codex. They were issued aprox. the same outfit as the Hospitallerkit presented in this thread.

Furthermore it is important to remember that the templars were monks. their "cappa" was refitted monastery robes or newly made to measure the codex. Wool was the preferred fabric since a 100% wool cloak isolates both against warm weather and cold weather. I wore my outfit for three days at 40 degrees centigrade. I was cool all the time.

I can and will work if done properly.