Ensuring you are comfortable when camping makes a huge difference to your outdoor experience. You want your camper or set-up to feel like a home away from home.
Annex matting is one way of adding an extra layer of comfort.
What Is Annex Matting?
Annex matting is a type of flooring you can use in your tent, trailer or caravan awning to make it more comfortable. As all camping enthusiasts know, keeping your home-away-from-home clean is often challenging. Annex matting is great for trapping dirt.
What is annex matting made from? Annex matting is made from PVC foam mesh. This very lightweight material is easy to keep clean and non-slip. Compared to other forms of matting, it is durable and lightweight.
Annex matting does not damage the ground or grass underneath. It allows for water and air to reach the ground below.
This page looks at the benefits of using annex matting when camping and how to choose the best matting for your needs.
Benefits of Annex Matting
Annex matting is not only great for when going on your outdoor Australian adventures, but It is also a perfect fit for the modern home when you have kids or dogs. Matting is great for adding to poolside patios to prevent falls.
Annex Matting For Comfort
Annex matting makes your outdoor living area more comfortable. It provides you with a cushioned surface to walk and even sit on. Furthermore, annex matting helps to reduce the amount of dirt dragged into your tent or caravan.
Keeping a caravan or tent clean is often challenging, as experienced campers recognise.
Safety
Most importantly, annex matting helps to prevent falls and slips. Camping on a slightly rough surface prevents minor foot injuries from rocks, small sticks, and, most importantly, thorns.
Annex matting creates a barrier between you and nature; it helps to reduce the risk of bites and stings from insects.
Design
Annex matting comes in a range of styles and colours. Although you can’t say you can make a fashion statement with annex matting, you can certainly create a nice living environment.
Not only can you choose a colour that you like. A choice of different sizes is also available.
Protects The Environment
Most regular campers are keen on protecting the environment. Annex matting helps to reduce the incidences of soil erosion and surface damage. This is particularly important when camping in an area such as a national park or nature reserve.
How To Choose the Right Annex Matting For Your Needs
When choosing annex mats for your camping trip, there are some factors you should consider.
Do You Need More Than One Mat?
Annex mats are not very expensive. Also, they are lightweight, so they will not add a lot of weight to your rig when travelling.
The mats are easy to roll up. When you arrive at your destination, you secure them with clips. As they are lightweight to carry with you, there is no reason why you should not buy at least a couple.
When you are not using your annex mats for camping, they make perfect home accessories on patios or wet areas of your home.
Size Matters
Although it is not always possible, you should try to choose a mat that fits in your tent or awning.
Annex mats are easy to adapt to different spaces. They can easily be cut into the right shape with a Stanley knife or other sharp knife.
If you plan to use them outside, perhaps even create a patio for your outdoor camping future. Measuring how much space you need before buying your mats is a good idea.
Mats start in size from 3 metres and go up to 7 metres. The width is normally 2.5 metres.
Design of Your Mat
The companies that produce annex mats are getting more creative. Years ago, the only colour you could buy was sand colour.
However, this has changed. Manufacturers have realised campers may want to add a bit of style. Rectangular patterns are popular, but you can also get other designs.
When you are camping, you find simple patterns work better as they show up less dirt and stay looking good for longer.
When you plan on using your mat outside, it is a good idea to look for a mat with UV protection to prevent fading. Most annex matters are UV-resistant, but it is best to check before you buy.
Also, ensuring your mat protects against mould and mildew is a good idea. If you are into camping, you probably know mould and mildew are the campers’ number one enemy.
How Long Does Annex Mats Last?
Providing they are not damaged, annex mats last for a long time.
As with everything else, it depends on how much you use them. If you use your mats a lot, they wear out faster.
Good quality mats should last between 5 – 10 years. When you camp a lot, your mats may need replacing more frequently.
Can I use exercise mats instead of annex mats? You could, but there is a major downside. Exercise mats are made from materials that are not breathable.
Mold, mildew and dirt particles soon build. All three are more or less impossible to remove from exercise mats. The same goes for cotton mats – they are not really meant for camping.
Final Thoughts
Annex mats are a must to be comfortable on your camping adventure. Make sure you invest in a couple to have extra on standby if you need them.
Annex mats help to keep your camping environment cleaner and prevent environmental damage. We all know that looking after our natural surroundings is more important than ever.
