Alternative to Mattress Stitch

I like seamed designs. Seams add structure to a garment. As I knit mostly outside the home, I prefer working on a smaller pieces rather than dragging the whole garment everywhere. But I have a problem: I really dislike Mattress Stitch. I dislike its name, dislike the awkward position at which I have to work it.

So what is the alternative? Basic running stitch or back stitch! You only have to remember to work it with wrong side facing (i.e. right sides together). Back stitch is more elastic but more bulky. If you use running stitch and are careful enough to match the edges stitch by stitch, the result is identical to Mattress Stitch. But I’m not really that picky, I don’t match every single stitch exactly. I use markers liberally at the side edges by tying a piece of waste yarn every 10cm/4″. When I am seaming, I just aim to match up those markers. These little markers make it so much easier to work a seam without tears!