#HTE

F-16 Mechanic Invents “The World’s Best Tool Mat”

Like all vehicles, F-16s require regular maintenance, and like all vehicles it wasn’t designed with external tool holders. Air Force mechanic Tom Burden got sick of tools sliding off of the plane while he was fixing it—"Heck, I nearly fell off the jet once. I could have broken my neck!“ he writes—and then spent two years prototyping the Grypmat:

It’s an intelligent use of materials and will reportedly stay put on angles up to 70 degrees…and in some cases more:

I also like that it’s bright orange, allowing you to easily spot it and making the tools visually stand out on it so you can grab the right one.

It’s already been successfully Kickstarted, and the three sizes cost $30, $35 and $60. Burden expects to ship by June.