But I figure that I could just keep some wet wipes and some paper towels with a small trash can close by.

I find isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol works pretty well to remove most stains, (although the dry erase is still faintly there).Although it was rolled, it was slightly squished so now there are parallel fold-lines along the entire mat. I'd still use it, except the threat of the metal dice used by obstinate, dice worshiping players is a potentially dangerous situation. I found a long cardboard tube somewhere once, i think from wrapping paper, about as wide as a paper towel roll. Over fifteen years back, I got tired of using printed out white mat sheets for our hex-based GURPS tactical combat resolution. However, if he takes the map with him, he gets to the game a little early the next time we play and unrolls it while he's waiting for the rest of us to arrive.

Take your sword, man, and cut out my heart; then squeeze it so that the blood will flow over the red stone. The only drawback is that my maps are pretty big, I'd guess about 3'x4', and the sheet of glass would have to be pretty big to cover it, making it inconvenient in weight, storage, and possible breakage. Given that it sounds like you are willing to do some work here's another option that I've seen work, but not done myself. In IMT threads, members of our community can promote their own work, including commercial projects and crowdfunding. They are very durable - they'll stand up to a lot of wear, and as long as you roll them properly, they unroll and flatten out easily.I figured I can start with the 26 * 23 1/2 inches of the standard Chessex battlemat, but advice is welcomed.