Views on CGear Multimat

[Joff]

I don't know if it's your garden variety shade cloth to be honest or if it some stronger breed given what it was designed for but the convenience of it as an item all sewn together and edged with D eyelets etc plus complete with it's own bag make it very useable.

I would imagine two layers would be similar but it would still have the problem of the edges curling and the issue of the two layers slipping across each other would be far more noticable.

At the end of the day it's like buying a Honda geni, or a Ctek charger, or any other quality item. You can do it cheaper but convinience and quality have a value too. If you're going to use it twice a year it's prolly not worth it, but when using it almost every day for months at a time it certainly is. 

[briann532]

I'll second Joff's comments, but add.............

I have used various types of tarps shadecloth etc over the years. Most of the time they work in one way or another.
Then life went pear shaped!!!
Along came little tin lids and threw a spanner into the works.
No matter how hard you try they trash everything they come into contact with.
Cleaning pureed pear etc out of camping gear fouled with regurgitated milk is ever so pleasant.

In a fit of crazed raged (It does happen if you spend enough time with the inlaws!) I decided that I should give the C-gear a go.
Wife commented on how expensive a piece of shade cloth it was. "yes I realise it's double sided- but it would still be cheaper to buy 2 and join together"
Yeah yeah, with what? when? etc etc.
its just easier with kids to go out and buy the product.
I'll tinker when I retire!!!!

Much to my dismay, the bloomin stuff works.
I have no idea how or why, it just does.
Of course as with anything that works fine, I decided to try and improve it.
As soon as I find somewhere on the matt I can put a screwdriver or saw, i'll get cracking, But for now it works so the boss, the kids and I are happy.

[Prado BB]

I'm convinced   I notice they are currently reasonably priced on Ebay

[Prado BB]

Put my money where my mouth is    Bought a CGear today from the Super Show, good price too I might add

[Craig.td42]

I have a 8ft x 20ft cgear mat for th annexxe. Its great. Stops you tracking a heap of sand through the tent and give the kids some were to play. One of the best things I've bought for my camper. A worthwhile investment for sure.

Cheers

Craig

[Kit_e_kat9]

You can do it cheaper but convinience and quality have a value too. If you're going to use it twice a year it's prolly not worth it, but when using it almost every day for months at a time it certainly is. 

I wish that I WAS using it for months at a time - everyday!

We are going to try for one long weekend a month and one fourteen day trip a year.  However, The Man doesn't get paid when he doesn't work, so that means he'll be in charge of whether this panes out that way.  Might see if we can borrow one for the longer trip to see if the investment is worth it for us.  Would hate to spend the money and then find it's in the 'useless for us' category.

[bretth]

Bought mine last week through Ebay, thanks for all the comments as I have been considering these for quite some time and the discussion on this link made up my mind.

Will test it out in a few weeks with a 14 day 'culinary' tour through western Victoria.

[chrisroche]

RWS-did you put annexe walls up and not damage the c mat?

[RWS]

Hi Chrisroche,  I haven't tried the annex walls with the mat as of yet, but the size coincides with the annex size, except on one end...this will be a problem when pegging out that one wall. I happen to have an old spreader pole left over from my tent and tarp days and plan to feed it through the bottom tabs of the annex wall, then peg each end just past the mat, keeping the mat hole free...the last thing I want is holes in my expensive mat...if I had my time over again I probably would buy the next size down...4.5m x2.4m...I'm going away this weekend so I'll give the spreader idea a go then and take some pic's to post up.

Rob.

[speewa158]

We use the soft spoungy mat  it works a treat but the down side is it collects a lot of burs & spiky seeds . Bag it up to travel home then hit it with the hi preasure water cleaner , good to go !
The floor gives us an anex that stays a cleaner & better to use . cost wise if you like it you forget , if you dont you remember all to well .
                                                   

[RWS]

RWS-did you put annexe walls up and not damage the c mat?

Just getting back to you on your question Chrisroche...I'm out in the field trying out the spreader pole idea and have taken some pic's as promised...pretty happy...seems to work ok. 

Rob

[JCOJ]

My opinion is the the C-Gear mat is worth every cent and more.  I have got one for the annex area and will be getting a second one to replace the standard annex matting that goes under the kids room.

This is the best thing we have ever bought for camping - apart from the camper itself!!!!!

[bretth]

We have been using our new mat for 2 weeks now in both wet and dry camping and confirm all the positive comments todate.

Well worht the expense, a great bit of kit.

[D4D]

Based on the comments I bought one today also. Got it from Kulkyne Kampers, as we were passing by, cheaper than eBay too

[ntpryce]

We've got three C-gear mats.  Excellent.

[Bubbles]

Done some research on the CGear Multimat and it is really good. It was developed as portable helicopter landing pads for the military. Properly secured to the ground the Tactical Helimat allows military helicopters to land in dusty, sandy locations without creating dangerous clouds of dust. It is also used in the snow. Its handled all conditions in Australia, middle east and other locations around the world.

It is made from dual layers of synthetic mesh, it traps the dirt and sand underneath the mat. Its is non-absorbent, doesn't kill the grass, doubles as a 90% UV shade cloth for protection and comes with drawstring bag.

Its won me, now to save!!

[Dashcoja]

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

Cheers
Damo

[carrma]

We love our Cgear camping mat, fantastic on the sand and great in the bush too, we bought ours online http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/CGear-Mat-Caravan-Camping-Mat-1-8m-x-2-4m-Free-Post-/110693139868?pt=AU_Tents&hash=item19c5d3459c great way to shop.

[RWS]

Wow! Carrma you must of gone back along way to find this thread...I thought it was dead and buried somewhere in the achives  ...still love my CGear, so much so I now have 2 mat's.

Edit: by the way, welcome to the forum.

[beagle47]

I'll be interested in how you found it.  We are considering the annex matting - as it's cheaper ($190 compared to $290) and has been recommended to us.

We have had the annexe matting since long b4 CGear existed, like it, no need to peg down, not slippery, grass can still breathe.  We did go to look at the Cgear matting a few years back with the idea of saving weight - but it was heavier

[darrenh]

I have got both the c gear mat and my own creation of doubling over a large piece of shadcloth. They both work as good as each other on a sanding spot. We usually camp for 4 weeks ar christmas at the beach at inskip. I researched the patent on the cgear after I bought it. It is only 2 layers of 70% uv shadcloth. So we bought 17m doubled it over and ran the sewing machine around the edges. (a cheap sewing machine). Half the price and exactly the size you want and it works well in sand and wet weather.

[Lori]

Another use for c-gear.....

I use the bag to put the wet dishes in when washing up and then hang it from a tree to drip dry. Not the sharp knives though - I love my c-gear bag to much for that!

[Moto Mech]

I have got both the c gear mat and my own creation of doubling over a large piece of shadcloth. They both work as good as each other on a sanding spot. We usually camp for 4 weeks ar christmas at the beach at inskip. I researched the patent on the cgear after I bought it. It is only 2 layers of 70% uv shadcloth. So we bought 17m doubled it over and ran the sewing machine around the edges. (a cheap sewing machine). Half the price and exactly the size you want and it works well in sand and wet weather.

Yeah, have heard exactally that, will give it a go.

[D4D]

I find doubled over shade cloth is slippery whereas the CGear is not

[sablesoft]

I find doubled over shade cloth is slippery whereas the CGear is not

Hi,

That was the reason I also went for CGear Multimat for my Cub Escape Annex, I have now put around 25 grommets in the mat to line up with the Cub Annex peg holes.

For us older ones slippery surfaces can lead to bad falls and broken bones!!. The multimat was much cheaper the the doctors bills.

Ray