As I have said several times, I have happily been using my sarong as a beach blanket, picnic blanket, or as a sheet at times. But recently, I realized that a larger length of ripstop nylon would be handy for the outdoors and not impact me greatly. I planned to get some next time I’m downtown LA.
But then I met the Matador folks at the International Travel Goods Show — and they showed me their Pocket Blanket 2.0.
I actually had no intention of considering the Pocket Blanket when I came to see Matador for their NanoDry Shower Towel. But then they pulled the corner out and handed it to me.
When I first touched this pocket blanket, I just smiled. I couldn’t believe how thin it was. In a life of travel, that’s a major joy.
The Matador Pocket Blanket 2.0 is brilliant.
- It packs tiny and light (98 grams/3.45 ounces), which makes it possible to bring on your travels.
- It’s smaller than a typical wallet.
- The underside is waterproof coated so the blanket will repel water which helps on moist ground and also keeps the blanket clean.
- It is puncture resistant, which is great in a woodsy setting.
- Each corner has a small stake that pulls out.
- The stake is also a weight to keep the edges from flapping up.
- The corners are also pockets you can put sand into in order to weigh it down.
- It folds into itself; no stuff sack to lose.
- It is 63″ x 44″ (160cm x 110cm)
Photo borrowed from Matador
It’s not quite long enough for a 6′ person to lie down, and I wish it was. But it’s great for 2 people to sit or recline on. Here, 3 people are using it.
The blanket comes in both red and green.
So will I be making my own? Maybe. It’s easy to buy some ripstop fabric and maybe not bother to finish the edges. Similar coverage requires 4 yards of 60″ wide ripstop. At $4.50/yard that’s $18. For just about $12 more, I can have the Matador Pocket Blanket 2.0 — complete with beautifully finished edges and all its handy perks.
The Matador Pocket Blanket 2.0 is pretty irresistible.
I normally don’t write about something until I have used it a while. However, I love the Matador folks and having found the NanoDry Shower Towel to be fabulous, and with summer coming, I feel I should let you know about it now. As usual, I’ll add updates.
Note: I posted this article in 2017. In 2023 I added the affiliate links to the products I recommend.