What types of weapons and armour would the crusaders in the 3rd crusade have worn?
The 3rd was in the late 12thC so it was just before the mail-plate transition got properly under way. Knights by this period wore a complete mail armor – hose & a long sleeved hauberk surmounted. A variety of helmets seem to have been worn at the time, the barrel like great helm was in vogue & provide the best protection but was a hefty device & many still prefered more open designs (now more alike to a deeply brimmed WW1 British helmet) – this may have been even more prevalent in the heat of the Levant. It is not unreasonable to assume that some of the knights resident in Outremer had adopted preferable elements of Eastern armours. Shield had become shorter than the old Norman type “kite”. Infantry would have been a very mixed bag. Well equipped professionals did exist, north Italian crossbowmen for example attracted high pay & turned out in armour near the equal of knights. It would seem that the Italians & Flemings also did a line in heavy infantry, presumably similar in equipment t
