It’s already the last day of October! It will be 2015 before we know it, but don’t worry, there’s still plenty of great football to be played before this year comes to an end! Football is, hands down, my favorite sport to watch. I travel to the Penn State home games every Saturday and watch the Steelers on Sundays. I’ve been fortunate enough to get to go to the last two Steelers games (vs. the Texans and the Colts) and this year I made it to my first ever Penn State Big Ten away football game at Michigan (great game with a not so great outcome for my Nittany Lions).
Our Penn State tailgate has continued to grow season by season with an ever growing list of chairs, coolers, tents, grills, tailgate games, and on and on and on. And yet it never seems to be enough! I’m continuously on the look out for great ways to upgrade my tailgate and I’m guessing many of you are too for whichever teams you choose to root for! So let’s take a look at some great tailgating supplies. We’ll start from the beginning and work our way up to supplies for the most advanced tailgaters out there!
Tailgating 101
So you’ve never been to a live football game before? Well there’s nothing wrong with that, we all started somewhere!
Your friend calls you up with some extra tickets and you’re thrilled but not quite sure what to expect. Well I certainly hope you weren’t just planning on showing up without asking what you could bring! I’ll go ahead and guess you end up deciding on some cold beverages and snacks! No matter how far your trip will be you’ll need a way to keep those beverages cold and to carry those snacks!
If you aren’t looking to make a big investment for this one time occasion then how about these small coolers and reusable grocery bags?
Majoring in Tailgating
Maybe you go to a couple games a year and are looking for some good portable tailgating gear that you can use a little more often? When I first started tailgating for the Penn State football games I started out with some folding tables, folding chairs and a cooler.
When shopping for folding tables to tailgate with you should make sure to find a good balance between a table that is sturdy and a table that can fold to a nice portable size that will fit into your car. These tables are nice and thin and have a lot of space to hold an array of game day snacks.
When buying folding chairs there are two main options. One is to buy folding chairs with your team logo on it. These chairs are a great way to show your team loyalty and to get pumped up for the game, but team logo chairs can also be expensive.
An alternative to the team logo chairs would be to buy folding chairs without a logo but in your favorite team’s colors. I strongly recommend ensuring your new chair has at least one cup holder! These dark blue chairs are about 1/6th the price as the Penn State chairs.
This cooler is a good size. It is able to hold a lot of food and drinks but is small enough to still fit in your car. Coolers get heavy when they are loaded up, which makes this cooler with a telescoping handle and wheels especially portable. The four cup holders on the lid are just an added bonus!
Bachelors Degree in Tailgating
Ready to graduate from the tailgating basics and really start the party? Die hard fans will be at the game rain or shine. Regardless of whether your goal is to keep the rain off or to create some shade for you and your friends, tailgating canopies are a fantastic addition to any tailgate.
Once again you can save a lot of money by picking a team color canopy instead of a team logo one.
Of course with this type of tent a set of weights is a great investment so that you won’t have to hold on to the tent every time there is a big gust of wind.
A portable grill is the next big step. Having a grill lets you upgrade from a bags of chips, baked goods, and maybe some cheese and crackers to a hot meal and sides. I also like using my tailgating grill in the winter to make hot drinks like apple cider! Similarly to the cooler and tables above, it is important to keep both size and functionality in mind when choosing your grill. Some teams don’t allow charcoal grills as the fires are harder to control and to extinguish, which is why I recommend buying a small gas grill for tailgating.
Of course once you have your grill you’ll want to make sure to bring a lighter, grill utensils, and any pots or pans you may need. I also recommend bringing an extra propane tank, those things always seem to run out at the worst possible time!
If you are going to be tailgating outside the stadium all day then you are going to want some entertainment. I’d suggest some portable speakers so that you don’t have to leave your car running and risk killing your car battery.
It’s also fun to bring some multi-player tailgate games. My personal favorite is cornhole!
Tailgating PhD
You know, there is one main problem with tailgating all day. And that is that spending all day prepping for your team is going to make you miss out on watching the rest of the games on TV. That is, unless you make the ultimate jump and bring a portable generator. With a portable generator, all things are possible, including the ultimate tailgating accessory, a TV!
DealTrunk is constantly posting flatscreen TVs in various sizes, so make sure you have the DealTrunk extension installed so that you can get the best deals as soon as they become available!
What team will you be rooting for this weekend? Tell us in the comment section below.
I’ll be waking up bright and early for my 2.5 hour drive up to Penn State to tailgate before and after the Maryland game – Let’s go state!
What teams will you be cheering for this season? What is one thing you can’t live without at your tailgate? Let us know in the comment section below!