M-TAC Bundeswehr mat case

M-TAC Bundeswehr mat case is a cover for carrying a standard folding German army (Bundeswehr) type mat. A folded mat on its own wears out quickly and picks up dirt, so a sleeve for the mat is one of the cheapest ways to extend its life and tidy the load layout on a backpack.

Construction and mounting

Wide velcro flap
The top of the sleeve closes with a wide flap with a velcro strip across the full width. The mat slides in and out with one hand, with nothing to unfasten and nothing dropped on the ground. The flap also covers the sleeve opening from rain and snow.

MOLLE straps with velcro fasteners
MOLLE-type straps with velcro fasteners are sewn on the back. The sleeve can be attached to the back panel of a backpack, to a tactical belt or to the bottom row of a vest. The straps let you choose the sleeve's position: horizontally under the backpack or vertically on the side.

Cordura 1000D fabric
The sleeve is sewn from Cordura 1000D. This fabric's abrasion resistance exceeds 50,000 cycles and its tear load is about 3000 N, so the sleeve withstands rubbing against trees and the mat inside stays dry even through several hours of rain.

Fastex buckle with an adjustable strap
A strap with a fastex buckle wraps round the sleeve and compresses the contents. This matters when a thinner mat is carried in the sleeve: without compression it would slosh around inside and spoil the backpack's balance. The buckle can be undone with gloves, and the strap length is adjustable.

Who is this sleeve for?

The sleeve is for everyone who carries the mat on the outside rather than inside the backpack: soldiers, hunters, long-hike participants, scout leaders. The 39 x 27 cm interior size is calculated for a standard folding army mat, but a rolled foam mat or a thin inflatable mat in its own stuff sack fits as well.

The practical benefit is simple: the mat stops being a vulnerable spot in the load. It no longer snags on branches or gets dirty, and in the evening it comes out clean and dry. The sleeve weighs about 230 g, so the weight gain compared with the protection you get is small.

Care and use

The sleeve can be washed in cold water with neutral soap and dried at room temperature. Cordura fabric doesn't shrink or lose its shape, but with intensive use it's worth regularly checking the velcro strips: accumulated grass and thread remnants reduce grip, and once they're cleaned off the flap holds like new again.

When choosing where to mount the sleeve, don't forget balance: a heavier mat is better attached as close to the back panel of the backpack and as high as possible, not right at the bottom. That way the centre of gravity stays close to the body and the backpack doesn't pull backward on a longer hike.