The search for the perfect travel yoga mat

I'm really getting excited about my trip to Acapulco now and am counting the days! I found out yesterday that I need to plan to take my own yoga mat. That oh so easy to pack yoga mat! Won't fit in my suitcase, won't fit in my backpack, what's a yogini to do? Shop!! So I started looking online for a mat and a bag to carry it. Of course I have a yoga mat already, actually I have 2, but neither will do for this. I need something light weight, that will roll up small, yet will still have enough cushion for my old bones, it needs to be at least 72" and it needs to be eco friendly. Neither of the 2 I already have meet those qualifications. But I'm sure I can find it on the internet!

There are many yoga mats for sale these days!!! So I quickly went to narrow the search down to eco-friendly yoga mats. Still there are many options: rubber, jute, cotton, something called TPE, and then there are blends of the above. From looking at product descriptions, dimensions, weights and reviews from customers, here's what I learned:
1) Rubber mats seem to be very popular for their bounce and cushioning, but many people complain about the rubber smell, and they are heavy with some weighing 5 lbs or more.
2) The jute blends are blended with rubber, so still stinky and heavy, but people say they have good grip.
3) The cotton mats are either too thin or too thick.
4) The TPE mats seem to be a good option. According to the website, Kulae that carries these mats, "TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) is 100% biodegradeable. Unlike the so called "eco" friendly rubber mats, no toxins or chemicals are used in the production of the tpECOmatTM. There is no latex, rubber or PVC. Furthermore, TPE does not smell and its closed cell technology means that your tpECOmatTM will not readily absorb bacteria and germs. " And they weigh about 2.5 lbs for the 72" length and 1/4" thickness which is what I really want. I can go a little lighter to 1/8" thickness and it weights in at 1.12 lbs which is better from a weight standpoint, but I'm a little concerned that it might not give my knees enough cushion.

Here is the mat I'm leaning towards after my extensive research: http://www.kulae.com/TpECOmat-plus-Yoga-Mat-p3.html
It meets all of my qualifications and I can get it in the 1/4 " thickness - 5 inches and 2.5 lbs rolled up (still gonna be cumbersome no matter how you slice it!). This company only makes eco yoga products and 5% of their profits go to charities in what they call "karma's real" which is very cool. They were also really helpful as I was trying to make my decision. I love good customer service!

Now for a bag to carry it. I rarely ever check a bag when flying, and eventhough I'll be gone for 2 1/2 weeks, I'm going to try and carry on. I mean most of what I'll be taking is yoga shorts & tops and bathing suits. How much space can they possibly take? (famous last words, I know) Normally I'll take my rolling suitcase and a backpack, but since my yoga mat won't fit in either, I needed a new solution. Option 1 was to bungee cord the mat to my current backpack, but there aren't any bungees on my backpack (it's about 25 years old and pre-bungee) and if I just wrap them around the backpack it will be really cumbersome to get stuff in and out of it while traveling. Ditto if I bungee it to the suitcase, and it probably wouldn't meet the size limits then either. So I pulled up the trusty internet and again went shopping. I found the perfect thing on eBags, a site I've visited often and usually find exactly what I need. This bag needed to replace my backpack, so needed enough space for my laptop, books, small purse, toiletries, snacks, my iPod and/or Blackberry, travel docs, etc, etc. , and the yoga mat. I think this bag will be perfect! The only thing that would make it more perfect is if it was also eco friendly, which I don't think it is, and I didn't find anything similar that was. Maybe the folks at Kulae can come up with one!! http://www.ebags.com/ebags/value_set_kalya_town_square_terrace/product_detail/index.cfm?modelID=106806. It's got pockets galore, a sling for the yoga mat that comes out of a hidden compartment on the bottom, a water bottle holder also in a hidden compartment on one end and a pocket for your iPod/MP3 player on the other end, and it's big enough for my laptop and other stuff. To top it off, it comes with a smaller matching purse, was on sale, had free shipping and a lifetime warranty! Needless to say, it's on it's way to me now.

Now I just need for everything to show up before next Thursday, and I'll be all set!