Abstract: Various techniques and designs for integrating protective packaging and shipping material within large objects such as computer systems are disclosed herein. This protective material, when exposed, allows the object it is coupled with to be safely transported and shipped. In one embodiment applicable to large machines such as computer mainframes, a protective shock-absorbent material such as foam is affixed to a first face of a reversible machine cover. The machine cover may be oriented to insert and hide the protective material within the machine and expose a cover on the second face. The cover then may be placed in a reverse orientation to expose the protective material on the first face. In this way, the protective material does not need to be separately stored or provided to the customer before transport. Further, the protective material is kept in a convenient location with the machine, and when deployed will provide shock protection according to original manufacturer specifications.