August 21, 201610 yr OK, I'm going to make a confession that may require me to turn over my man-card: I have not historically been a dedicated tailgater. Don't get me wrong. I love tailgating. I love eating, drinking, socializing, playing cornhole, throwing the football, and otherwise participating in the cultural phenomenon that tailgating has become, but it has almost always been at somebody else's tailgater and I usually only go once a season or so. However, my oldest son is now a freshmen, and I've also got a 6th grader, 4th grader, and 2nd grader whom all play sports and likely I will be attending high school games for the next 11 years. So I have agreed to act as an unofficial "host" or "organizer" for tailgates, both home and away, for the local high school, in an effort to generate more crowds, socializing, and cohesion among the local fan base. However, I am woefully equipped for this venture. So, here is what I am looking for: 1. The best possible tailgate grill for both home and away events. I am generally a charcoal man but not altogether opposed to propane. I AM a food man, I like to experiment, go gourmet and eat big. I am interested in portability, ease of set up and take down. It does not have to be big, but needs to be big enough to grill for crowds of 25-50 people, so a Smoky Joe is not really feasible; 2. Tents. My travel baseball pop-ups usually last one season and then I leave them, destroyed and wind-blown, pinned to a fence at a ballfield near you at the end of the year. Need something large, sturdy, ease of set-up a must, able to withstand good wind, and I like the thought of a drop side to prevent entry of sideways rains. Tell me what I need. 3. How do I keep food cold? What about music, how do I handle that? What other things should I organize so that we get, and keep, people entertained and desirous of returning for the next week? All thoughts are appreciated, there is no dumb suggestion, and I am not necessarily limited by cost, I am willing to invest but don't obviously want to take out a second mortgage. Help!
August 21, 201610 yr Just my two cents from my tailgating experiences at UofL: 1. I agree 100%, I prefer charcoal over gas, but for tailgating, gas is exponentially easier. You can get several small propane grills, or one large one and attach it to a trailer hitch. I would definitely go propane for a grill. 2. For tents, I would get a couple 10x10 canopy tents, heavy duty, and set them up however you want. They are versatile and easy to set up. You can figure out quick and easy ways to anchor them so they don't blow away, and for quick tear down as well. 3. If you mean how do you keep food cold while it's being served, I think once it's out on the tables most understand it isn't going to stay cold all day/night. I wouldn't stress too much over that. For something that has to remain cold, you can use large metal pans, fill them with ice, and then put your cold food in bowls in those pans, that works pretty well. 4. Music, find you a good Bluetooth speaker set up and go that route. Super easy, anybody can connect, play music and keep the party going.
August 21, 201610 yr These are good speakers for tailgating. Will play on a charge for 6-8 hours. [ATTACH=CONFIG]57452[/ATTACH] How big is that? Looks like a guitar amp.
August 22, 201610 yr How big is that? Looks like a guitar amp. It's 13 x 13 x 9. Weighs 20 lbs. 50 watts They make another one that's a little bigger and gas wheels and a handle like a roll around suitcase. That's the one I have.
August 22, 201610 yr Look into an Orion Cooker. I love mine. It's not as good as my traditional smoker but it's so much more convenient. You can add a small amount of wood to the cooker so you do get a hint of smoked flavor. Easy to use, very portable and quick. 6 racks of ribs in about an hour and a half.
August 22, 201610 yr This is all you need... Tailgate Trailers from Towable Tailgates - Tailgating Trailers, Tailgate Trailer - 1-877-7-TOWABLE – :lol2:
August 24, 201610 yr What about Big Green Egg? Pretty heavy as well as high dollar for a tailgate grill. You can get an Akorn for less than half.
August 24, 201610 yr In my opinion. This is the best portable gas grill you can get. Amazon.com: Solaire Anywhere Portable Infrared Propane Gas Grill, Stainless Steel: Patio, Lawn & Garden
August 24, 201610 yr Lots of good advice here. TheDeuce sums it up pretty well. We spent years tailgating. We had a grill similar to Sportsweatherfan and loved it. We had the one that hooks in your boat hitch. Easy to transport, just the right height, and takes up no inside space. One thing we also have on our I pads is called sling box. It connects with your home cable system and allows you to watch a program. So, if you are tailgating at one college game and want to keep your eye on another, or scores from another school, sling box allows you to do that. When I was a newlywed, I remember tailgating with my in laws at a college game. Father in law used a charcoal grill. After we were done he dumped the contents into a dumpster in the parking lot. As we were leaving we saw the fire department arriving to a fire in the same dumpster. No charcoal from then on. One last thing, always bring more garbage bags than you think you will need.
August 24, 201610 yr These are good speakers for tailgating. Will play on a charge for 6-8 hours. [ATTACH=CONFIG]57452[/ATTACH] Does that take a mic? If so, how is it?
August 24, 201610 yr Does that take a mic? If so, how is it? Mine came with a mike. Decent for karaoke.
August 24, 201610 yr Mine came with a mike. Decent for karaoke. I was thinking needing it more for announcing.
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