| 711 | CGear Multimat | 2012-10-03 |
Multimat under the Zing at Longs Peak Campground,
the broom is next to the tent
Of all of our purchases during our summer trip (2012), the CGear Multimat was our biggest surprise.
Many years ago my sister bought me a sand beach mat. I never used the mat at the beach, but I did use it for camping. The mat was made from small, multi-colored plastic tubes woven together similar to a bamboo mat. I used the mat for years and when it finally wore beyond repair, I began looking for a substitute. After a few years, we finally found a similar mat in of all places, the Colter Bay General Store in the Tetons. The mat was intended for RVs, but we used it regularly for tent camping. The mat was very similar to my original sand mat, but was not made as well. It began tearing apart almost immediately.
Then this spring, REI offered a new sand mat, the CGear Multimat. It was much larger than the mat we had been using, but it also cost more. We discussed buying one, but delayed the purchase.
One of our goals of the summer was to try to create an outdoor office environment. We purchased the big MSR Zing tarp to protect us from the wind, rain, and sun, but we still needed something to keep our things off the ground. While camping in sandy Utah, we decided to seriously look at the CGear Multimat during an upcoming visit to the REI in Boulder.
After a brief inspection of the mat at the store, we decided to give it a try. It worked. The Zing and CGear Multimat made a great combination. It was the answer for a mat to go under the tarp.
Close up of the mat, the weave allows the sand to sift through the fabric
A few CGear Multimat notes ...
The mat uses a special weave that allows sand to sift back to the ground and away from the surface of the mat.
The CGear Site has a demonstration video.
We decided the medium sized mat - 8 feet x 8 feet best fit our needs.
The mat has stake out loops. We staked it out at every campsite.
Campsites are different sizes. The mat can be customized (folded) to a smaller size easily. The stakeout loops help secure the mat.
Staking out the mat made it inconvenient to shake the mat clean of debris. We bought a kitchen broom to help. With a full size broom it was much easier to sweep the big stuff off the mat.
The mat is not fire proof! (CGear warns against fire damage.) Well, trying to light a stove in rainy, breezy, cold weather we mistakingly set a match on the mat. The fabric melted. This was our fault, not the mats!
Our tent was much cleaner!
The mat comes in a great storage bag.
The mat is well suited for campground camping. The mat would also be ideal for river trips and beach camping
We really liked the mat. It became an integral part of our camping setup and helped keep the sand and dirt away from our laptops, pads, and other sensitive equipment.
Happy CGear Multimat trails