Gaming mat: recommendations, please.

[ochoin]

Sea -scape. Up to now, I've been using an old, blue bed-sheet, partly tucked under my terrestrial gaming mats. Inadequate.

I think I need to buy a purpose built gaming mat with a seascape pattern. My other mats are material but I think this "sea" should be vinyl? Mouse-pad?
Definitely no grids on it.

Dimensions should be roughly .5 metres long & 1.5 metres wide ? - to cover the end of the table tennis table I use for gaming. I'm not going to ever want it for a stand-alone sea-battle - just the shores of Bronze Age Egypt or the C19th Sudan Nile, so a relatively modest size.

I'd like to buy it & pick it up the next time I'm in the UK to avoid P&P so foldable? Packable?

Any thoughts?

donald

[Paul]

I've been looking for a 4 foot square one in mousemat type material and have realised that the choice now has reduced enormously from where it was five years ago!
Obviously mousemat might not work for packing purposes but most of the manufacturers do cloth or even (shudders) PVC.
My favourite manufacturer is Deep Cut and i'd get mine from Element games in the UK.
I'm not totally clear about the size you want but they do a nice, cheap 3x3 (not sure about your measurements as half a standard TT table is 4 ft x 4.5ft)
https://elementgames.co.uk/wargames-and ... -3x3-cloth

Reading again about your exact needs something like this from Tiny might fit the bill?
https://www.tinywargames.co.uk/online-s ... p534280905

Tiny are nice mats but customer service is a bit "meh" they will do them in Cloth as well as PVC too.

[Count Belisarius]

I won't go near Tiny. Just had a friend give up on them and demand a refund after being sent the wrong mat. Twice. My experience was far from good. I gave up in the end after months of waiting for responses, being promised a solution, and then having to chase again weeks later.

I suspect if you get a good experience with them then both you and they think they are wonderful. If not then...

[Count Belisarius]

And to end on a positive... I really like Geek Villain.

[Paul]

I've had three mats from Tiny. The only time I had a slight issue was when a custom print wasn't exactly how I wanted it.
I suspect like a few wargames businesses they are struggling from rising prices, dropping sales and the after effects of dodgy customers during the pandemic!

[ochoin]

What's wrong with PVC?

[Count Belisarius]

My dealings were pre-pandemic. Like several companies.. they are now dead to me.

I like to hold a grudge...

[Count Belisarius]

What's wrong with PVC?

According to Purps, sweating is an issue...

[ochoin]

What's wrong with PVC?

According to Purps, sweating is an issue...

Yes but what's wrong with PVC?

[Paul]

What's wrong with PVC?

Purely the idea, probably a misconception, that's it's cheap, thin and glossy?