Tailgating is no longer a pre-game tradition but rather a lifestyle and identity. For just a few weekends of the year you dawn your favorite jersey, load up your vehicle with tailgating essentials, food, drinks, and rush to reclaim your favorite tailgating spot. The right tailgating gear can make the difference between a mediocre fan or super fan. That’s why we put together our favorite 10 football tailgate essentials.
Football Tailgating Essentials:
Coolers
When it comes to choosing your cooler for the tailgate you want to make sure it will fit anything you throw into it. The rotomolded coolers offer you the best construction and insulation options. However, if you want to save some money the old classic Igloo style coolers continue to stand the test of time. Here are our choices for coolers:
Yeti Rotomolded Construction makes the Tundra 65 armored to the core and virtually indestructible so wherever you decide to take it, this portable cooler’s sturdy construction will stand up to the rigors of tailgating.
RTIC Hard Cooler 65 is designed for impact resistance, durability, and long-lasting ice retention. Made for portability with heavy-duty rope handles that allow you to take it anywhere. Keep your drinks, food, and meat cold during those tailgating parties.
Igloo 70 Trailmate cooler tackles sand and other challenging terrain with the superior traction and ground clearance. Keep 112 12oz beverage cans cold with Ultratherm Technology built into the body and lid.
Portable Griddles or Grills
The most essential tailgating gear. A gas griddle or gas grill is the way to go. They are easy to transport, quick to set-up and easy to clean. Avoid charcoal grills, they take time to heat up and the cleanup can be tricky with all the ashes. With gas you can be burning those burgers and hot dogs in seconds. Here are our choices for gas griddles or gas grill:
Blackstone 22” 1935 on the go portable griddle features a collapsible “Roll & Go” scissor leg design for easy transportation to tailgates. Two adjustable heat zones makes for a versatile cooking surface where you can cook several foods at once. Be sure to get the propane bottle adaptor hose kit.
Blackstone 28” 1517 easily wheel around or transport from your backyard to the tailgate thanks to the removable griddle top, fold up legs and two wheels. 4 Adjustable heat zones makes for a versatile cooking surface where you can cook several foods at once.
Pit Boss PB3BGD2 Ultimate 3-Burner Lift-Off Griddle perfectly blends power, portability and precision to create a one-of-a-kind grilling machine that delivers with it’s non-stick armored ceramic cooking surface. Completely portable, the Ultimate Griddle utilizes our easy lift-off technology for simple transport to any tailgating event.
Bluetooth Outdoor Speakers
Good sound makes every tailgate better. Bluetooth speakers are affordable, rugged and typically work with any smartphone. Most Bluetooth speakers offer outstanding sound quality and come in a variety of sizes. Make sure to choose a speaker that can withstand weather and has plenty of battery capacity. Get ready to pump up the volume, here are our choices for speakers:
JBL Flip 5 allows you to take your tunes on the go with the powerful sound. The waterproof design, lets you listen come rain or shine for 12 hours of play time. Pair two JBL PartyBoost-compatible speakers together for stereo sound.
Anker Soundcore delivers astonishing sound from a lightweight, portable speaker with incredible build quality. IPX7-rated protection defends Soundcore against spilled drinks, rain, and other liquids and has a 24 hour play time.
Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth speaker is built to resist water, dust, and debris, in a design that withstands drops and rust, this compact speaker. Lithium-ion battery offers up to 12 hours of life per charge.
Fire Pits
Portable smokeless fire pit will go from the backyard to the parking lot within seconds. A fire pit will keep you warm and cozy during those late season night games while drinking with your favorite tailgate friends. Just let it burn out and cool down before loading it up. Here are our favorite choices:
Solo Stove Ranger 2.0 pushes the limits of both combustion airflow efficiency and portability while providing a low smoke fire that cannot be duplicated. Features a removable base plate and ash pan for easy cleaning. Comes with a Carry Case.
East Oak Smokeless Fire Pit 17” breaks through the traditional parallel channel structure. Its innovative trapezoidal shape and double-bottom inlet to increase air intake, producing a more vigorous flame and more warmth for your tailgate.
Canopy Tent
Canopy tents will keep you dry, stop strong winds with sidewalls and keep you shaded. For tailgating consider getting the canopy with straight leg instead of the slant leg option. If you tailgate on grass you can use ground stakes, those on hard surfaces we suggest using weighted plates that slide around the tents feet. A good rule of thumb is 4 lbs per 1 mph of wind. For Example, a 10×10 tent, 40 lbs would be enough in 10 mph winds. Also, find a tent that can go up and down easily, every time I take mine down it seems like my friends all of a suddenly disappear. Here are our choices for canopy tents:
ABC Canopy 10×10 is the gold standard thanks to unmatched quality and endless color options. The heavy-duty frame, waterproof canopy, UV blocker fabric and ease of storage with roller bag makes this our choice.
Eurmax Canopy 10×10 is one of the most affordable cross-truss canopy frames. Comes with weight bags but no stakes. Stitching lines are all seam sealed to prevent water penetrate from seams to make our canopy tent waterproof and made with UV blocking fabric.
Folding Table
You may not think a table is essential but the more flat surfaces you have the better. Tables are needed for food prep, serving, speakers, TVs, and a place to eating. Opt for a table that has a molded plastic top. They are light, fold up nicely, available in multiple sizes, and be hosed down quickly when you get home. Here are our folding table choices:
Best Choice 6ft Folding Table is powder-coated steel legs, frame joint locks, and non-slip rubber feet help to keep the table in place. Foldable design includes a side lock and handle, making it easy to take on the go or store away in a compact space when not in use.
ZenStyle 3ft Folding Table no assembly required. What you need to do is to unfold it after receiving it, which can be completed in a few seconds. The four steel legs can be folded and held in the place with a clip, making storage more convenient and for better portability. Excellent load carrying capacity of up to 300 lbs.
Trash Receptacle
This may not seem like an essential, but casing trash around is not what I want to be doing while tailgating. A 30 gallon collapsible trash receptacle is perfect, they use the common lawn bag. To keep the trash can from flying away on windy days, simply drop a heavy rock or something in the bottom of the trash can before adding the bag liner. At the end of the tailgate just remove the liner and collapse the receptacle. Here are our choices for trash receptacles:
Fiskars 30 Gallon HardShell folds to approximately 3-inches for space-saving storage, includes an internal spring that pops it up for use and has reinforced bottom. Easy carrying and all-weather durability.
Coghlan’s Camp Trash Can is portable and is designed with spring-loaded can automatically pops up by unzipping the container’s storage lid. Fits 30 gallon trash bags.
Tailgating Chairs
The chair you choose must be comfortable, foldable, and rugged. Foldable chair designs have come a long way, some can support up to 600 lbs for the big & tall man. Stay away from those narrow small weak designed chairs that have the store name on them, they usually end up in the dumpster after one use. Here are our choices for tailgating chairs:
Coastrail Outdoor XXL oversized director chair has a 600lbs capacity. Powder-coated steel tube frame supports you to relax comfortably made with 600D polyester and has detachable padded armrests. Foldable side table and side pocket organizer for all your tailgating gear.
GCI Outdoor Pro Rocker is constructed from durable nylon and can support up to 250lbs. This chair has a gentle motion of rocking and unfolds and folds up easily. Has one drink holder and a side pocket.
LED String Lights
LED lights or rechargeable LED string lights have come a long way over the last few years. Lighting is a must, especially for those late season night games. They come in a verity of lengths and sizes. They can be rechargeable, powered by power banks, generators, or from the vehicle. LED bulbs are energy-efficient, versatile, and can last for years without worry. Here are our LED choices:
Addlon LED Outdoor 24ft String Lights are dimmable with shatterproof bulbs. Weatherproof and heavy-duty construction make this perfect for year-round use. Great to hang from a canopy tent.
MPOWERD Luci 18ft Solar String Lights has a 20-hour use time on a single charge. If you do need to recharge, then simply plug it in via USB to a power bank. These are great to take camping too.
Generator
As your tailgate grows so will your power needs. A generator will be used for powering blenders, lights, charging phones, TVs, or anything else that needs power. There are great gas and solar/chargeable generators on the market. I have opted for a generator that is overkill for tailgating so I can use it at the hunting camp as well as light use around the house. For tailgating a 1500-2200 watt generator is more than plenty. Here are our choices for gas or rechargeable generators:
Honda EU2200i 2200-watt Inverter Generator is a vary popular model. I have had one for over 15 years and it has never disappointed. It’s super quiet and you can monitor performance and wirelessly turn it off.
Jackery Explorer 1500 Pro Portable Power Station can be wall charged, DC charged or solar charged (solar panels not included). It has 8 output ports, to power or recharge anything you can throw at it during the tailgate. It quiet and can be charged in 2hrs by wall outlet.
EcoFlow Delta Max 2000 can also be wall charged, DC charged, or solar charged (solar panels not included). It can be fully charged in under 2hrs by wall outlet. Super quiet without the exhaust from a gas generator.
Conclusion
Football tailgating has grown and evolved over the years for football fans. For sporting events, football tailgating is one the most popular social gatherings. To ensure you’re getting the most out of your tailgating experience start with the essentials. You and your friends celebrating will take over the rest. By the way, National Tailgating Day is every first Saturday in September.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.