2012 college football tailgating guide
Discerning tailgaters, if you take your craft seriously, you’re going to want to keep up with the Jones’ for the upcoming season, and you’ll probably want to get together your wish list right about ummm…now.
We’ve been scouring the web looking for the best tailgating gear and ideas to make sure you’re properly supporting your alma mater this fall as well as impressing the heck out of anyone lucky enough to be parked near you.
The Essentials
Can’t tailgate without a nice grill. Here are some winners in our book:
The Weber Smokey Joe
Portable, well made and provides the ability to regulate airflow. Basically, the kinds of attributes you want in a full sized grill but perfect for a small tailgate. Weber is a mainstay in the grilling industry for a reason. Tough to go wrong here. Shop for one here.
Char-Broil Grill 2 Go ICE® Portable Infrared Gas Grill & Cooler Combo
Yes, the name’s a mouthful, but wow, this thing has the goods. Ample cooking surface, foldout workspace on either side and a cooler underneath! This is the all in one magic one would expect to have available in 2012. Glad to see the rocket scientists at Char-Broil have made the tailgater’s dream a reality. I don’t know where they live, but when I find out I’m giving those good people a bear hug…or at least a high five.
Brinkmann 3 Burner Tailgate Grill
Okay, if you’ve got a serious tailgating chef on your hands, this might be the best option. The Brinkmann gives you three burners so the Bobby Flay in your crew can whip up multiple complicated dishes at once. Sure, you’ll need a bit more space to transport it than the previous two grills, but this baby gives you more prep surface and a ton more control over the cooking process. You can get one from Amazon.
Cruzin Cooler
If we need to do anything more than show you the picture for this one to get you on board then you’re reading the wrong article. Need to buzz over to your buddy’s tailgate in the next lot? Why walk when you can ride your Cruzin Cooler. It just makes sense. Their website has the details.
The Gear That Makes You Look Like A Real Fan
So we poked around some merchandise sites to find our favorite stuff, and here are a few other winners that we came across:
The Tailgating Tent
You know you’ve had the experience of showing up to a game and missed getting a prime spot in the shade during one of those early September scorchers and nearly melted. Having one of these quick to set up tents will save you and your tailgating team a lot of headaches when you don’t happen to land the best location for your pregame festivities.
The Tailgating Banner.
Sure, the people down the way may have the latest and greatest jersey, or even a huge flag that announces their presence, but one of these easy to hang banners not only makes you look cool, but it’s a heckuva lot easier to set up than a flag, especially on a windy day when you’ve got enough troubles getting the grill lit. Plus, the layout keeps your favorite school’s logo looking good.
The Chef Coat
If you saw that Brinkmann grill above and thought “I know someone who has to have that”, then this is the next item on your list to purchase. If you’re going to be whipping up some fine regional college cuisine (thank you Todd Blackledge), you just have to have one of these.
Tags: Amazon, Barbecue, Barbecue grill, Bobby Flay, Food, Home and Garden, Shopping, Tailgating