Combination beach mat and shoulder bag

Claim 1

A combination beach satchel and beach mat construction comprising a sheet of a flexible material having a reverse face and obverse face; a substantially continuous loop of a flexible material secured along two substantially parallel longitudinal portions to a substantially central portion of the obverse face of the sheet, a free-standing loop portion extending from either end of the secured parallel portions, one loop portion extending beyond a first end of the sheet, the secured portions extending longitudinally from a location at least about 10 percent of the distance from the first end to the second end to a location at least about 33 percent of the distance from the second end to the first end; first flexible fastening means secured to a first edge of the reverse face of the sheet and second mating flexible fastening means secured to an intermediate portion of the obverse face of the sheet, the fastening means extending longitudinally from a location distant from the first and second ends of the sheet at least about 10 percent of the full length of the sheet, the second fastening means being secured to the obverse face intermediate the second edge and the secured parallel portions, and at least about one-third the distance from the second edge to the first edge; the sheet being sufficiently flexible so as to fold completely over upon itself in both the lateral and longitudinal directions, under a force no greater than its own weight.