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By this I mean like would they require things like fur lining or additional insulation? My understanding of wearing full plate, along with the usual worn gambeson and chain and such, is rather hot, uncomfortably so, so I was wondering if a kingdom in a colder region(where it often snows) would even need to consider deviating much from a more or less standard armour design of the 15th century(european as per usual, I know there are many kinds of designs but just go with what would've been the most 'typical' or 'average' at the time) to make sure that their units in full plate are protected from the cold.

Does full plate armour require additional design considerations for cold regions?

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    $\begingroup$ What were winters like in western Europe in the times when full plate armor was a thing? Were they warmer or colder then now? Did they have snow? What was the Little Ice Age? Do Peter Bruegel's winter pictures, such as the Hunter in the Snow and the Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap reflect reality? $\endgroup$
    – AlexP
    Jan 20, 2022 at 10:30
  • $\begingroup$ Have you looked into how plate armor is made? I doubt most metal touched anyone's skin. That would have medical consequences. And despite the movies, "full plate" either meant riding a horse or not having your feet covered (walking on metal...). Your question's answer heavily depends on how you're manufacturing the armor and how you're using the armor. Can you include those details? $\endgroup$
    – JBH
    Jan 20, 2022 at 17:05
  • $\begingroup$ You might want to look at the hinges and sliding surfaces, to ensure they don't freeze up. But as for wearer's temperature, not relevant. $\endgroup$
    – PcMan
    Jan 21, 2022 at 11:48

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Just pay attention that no skin touches the metal

Maybe additional fur where there are gaps in the armour. But apart from that, the usual gambeson you wear underneath should be enough.

The real danger is plate armour in really hot weather/in direct sun

Note that even in really hot weather, the issue is the same, you have to wear something underneath to protect you from the burning metal.

Related: the same question on Reddit, answered by people who wear plate armour for LARP.

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    $\begingroup$ +1. And wear cloaks over the armor when not actually fighting. $\endgroup$
    – Alexander
    Jan 20, 2022 at 17:44
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Protection from enemy not from weather

Full plate armour is for protection from the enemy's sword or javelin. It is worn over the normal dress. The soldier will wear normal dress according to the weather and wear the armour over it. Therefore same armour can be used in different weathers.

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It all depends on how cold. If it is very cold, like -20°C or less, this is starting to head into temperature regimes where normal armour steels may suffer from brittle failure. This means that cold steel may shatter when made very cold and subjected to a strong impact.

Some steels are more likely to become significantly more brittle when cold, and different steels may have a lower Ductile to Brittle Transition Temperature (DBTT) than others.

So, in a particularly cold environment, you wouldn't want a steel with a DBTT around 0°C, you'd want one with a DBTT of -75°C or less. Otherwise, the first impact your armour catches might be its last.

Of course, in low temperatures, you wouldn't want bare skin touching cold metal... your skin may freeze to the metal. On the other hand, plate armour is poorly ventilated, and is hot and exhausting in otherwise pleasant temperatures, but becomes quite pleasant to move and fight in when the temperature is below 0°C.

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Your plate armor does not contribute to the wearer's temperature at all.

Aside from heating by the sun, the metal will rapidly acquire the same temperature as the air surrounding it.
What then matters is what you wear under the plate.

The reason you associate wearing armor with heat is because you typically wear a great many layers of chain, leather,cloth and whatnot under the metal.
Indeed, with both chain and plate (the plate often.usually over a layer of chain, too!), the metal is only the outermost layer of your actual armor. The plate prevents pointy stuff from penetrating, the chain prevent edged weapons from cutting (which the plate does not do very well), and the multiple layers of softer material beneath absorb the impact of the blows.

It is these multiple layers of material that retain body heat, and the requirement that every little spot of skin be covered, that makes wearing armor hot. Even in the snow.

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There's generally a certain amount of padding under armor. In extremely cold weather, the choice of adding more cloth over or under the armor would be determined by:

  1. Is there enough space underneath? If not, then under the armor isn't a choice (unless you are wealthy enough to have a second suit of armor sized correctly for just such occasions). If under is possible, then:

  2. Amongst the choices of under, over, or mixed, which leaves you with maximum mobility? There's no point in staying toasty warm if you can't defend yourself in the battle.

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No, I do not think it does. Typically many layers are worn and full plate is one of the most outern. Plate will not get in contact with body. Often the setup goes like: first you put thin normal clothing, next you put jacket, next you put chainmail, next you put coat, then plate and then additional outer layers can also go on top of that if needed.

Probably best to check video to get the concept:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAP-EBXHxKM

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Gambeson was commonly worn beneath plate armor and considering that it is many layers of quilted wool and linen there would be no problem with retaining heat

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