The 5 Most Essential Tailgating Items

What could be the 5 most important tailgating items that many newbies leave at home? It’s not the charcoal grill, it’s not the beverage cooler and not the tailgating food. But these five items should be taken to the tailgating party or you will in fact be shown to be a newbie at tailgating. The countdown of essential  items for tailgating newbies begins …..

5. The Tailgating Tent

What better way to mark your spot at the tailgating party than a tailgating tent. These tents or canopies are very handy for  not only marking your spot at the party. They can also serve as shade on a hot late summer afternoon. For evening games they make a great place to hang lights and during a rain shower guess where you can huddle to stay dry. That’s right the tailgating tent can be used in all weather and has many uses you can get from it. Invest about $125.00 in a good tailgating tent and use it at all of you tailgating parties and for your backyard bbq’s as well. Can you tailgate without it? Yes you can but having a tailgating tent or tailgating canopy makes the event more fun. The tailgating tent ranks number 5 on Sizzle Talk’s essential tailgating items list because of it’s many uses at home and at the tailgate party.

4. Team Spirit Flags and Banners

Most tailgating parties take place at a sporting event and usually two or more athletic  teams are participating. It makes sense to Sizzle Talk to have a team to cheer for and display their colors and flags. While some people don’t consider flags, banners and pennants to be essential we do. Besides showing pride in your athletic team it also shows everyone else on the lot who you are cheering for. When doing this at an ‘away’ game you might be jeered for it but that is part of the ‘tailgating ritual’ I suppose. I don’t go in for jeering the opposing fans but it does happen. Show some team spirit and pride and fly the colors. Spirit flags, banners and pennants rank number 4 on our essential tailgating items list because everyone should show some team pride.

3. Tailgating Table

Just because you are going to a tailgate party doesn’t mean you have to eat off the tailgate of a truck. Of course you can and we did for several years but having a folding card table or folding lawn table makes it much easier. The table when combined with a tailgating tent can serve as the focal point of your party. You can serve the food off the table,  to sit around visiting, or maybe play cards and eat you tailgating meal from it. Besides if you have a vehicle with a tailgate and a table you now have three times the space to lay out your spread if you have a folding card table and more than that if you have one of those long serving tables. Having this much space for your spread makes everything less crowded and gives an inviting atmosphere to the whole setup. The tailgating table is at number 3 on our essential tailgating items list because of it’s utility.

2. Lawn Chairs

Tailgating is a leisure pastime and everyone does a lot of walking around and visiting with friends but having a set of folding lawn chairs makes it extremely nice to relax before and after the game. Take care of your feet and legs and they will take care of you. A tailgating party is not a short time event. Most tailgating parties at a football game last about 4 or 5 hours and sometimes more. You will definitely want a place to sit once in awhile. The chairs make it nice when you are eating as well. The chairs are not that much of an expense and you will be glad you invested in them. They can also be used at home as well. Comfort is the reason folding chairs are number 2 on our essential tailgating items list.

1. Trash Containers and Trash Bags

If you leave these items at home you will be the scorn of all the other tailgaters for sure.  You can buy small plastic trash containers and trash bags anywhere at a very nominal expense and they can be reused at home as well. It is very easy to keep the area clean during while tailgating by remembering to never just toss anything on the grounds. Be a good tailgater and keep the area clean. Remember your mother doesn’t work there and you owe it to yourself and others to leave the tailgating area as clean as what you found it. Clean up gear tops Sizzle Talks list of most essential tailgating items because trashy tailgaters is one of my pet peeves. I can’t count the number of times I have seen tailgaters leaving a trashy spot behind, and I darn sure let them know about it. Keep clean please.

Now many of you might say that these are not essential tailgating items but I ask you this question. Would having these items at your next tailgating party make it more enjoyable and fun? I would say yes, the items listed would make the tailgating party more enjoyable and easier.

Let us know what you think and how we are doing. You can always use these items around the home and backyard and you can always count on Sizzle Talk to to give you the straight scoop on tailgating.