The crew here at That’s So Perfect LOVES to throw a party. Sporting events, concerts, holidays, or just a random backyard pool party or cookout – any excuse to enjoy time with our friends and family will do. However, we are HARDCORE football fans. When my husband and I first met, I loved college football (Go Vols!) but didn’t really care one way or the other for NFL. He loved NFL and didn’t really follow college football very closely. Over the years, we’ve blended our interests so much that we both love college and pro football equally now. Throw in a daughter who cheered for little league and a son who played in high school, and we’re pretty much an “any football, any age, any level” family of fans now.
You probably know where I’m headed with this story, don’t you? When it comes to tailgating, or throwing a watch-party at home, we’re fanatical about the experience. Our motto is “If you’re going to do something, you might as well go balls to the wall!” (Yes, I said that. No, I’m not going to apologize. Relax people. Humor is good for the soul.)
Since we live in the south, any outdoor event that occurs from August to the end of October is likely to be held in the scorching heat. That can make it a major challenge to keep yourselves, your guests, your food and your beverages cool. Over the years, I’ve tried just about every gadget and hack that you can imagine. No, hanging ziplock baggies over the table that are filled with water does NOT scare the flies away from your food. Yes, a high quality cooler IS worth the investment. Yes, insulated tumblers are a gift from the angels who want you to keep your favorite Sweet Tart Slushy made with Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka from melting faster than you can drink it. No, the amount of alcohol your guests consume will not kill the bacterial food poisoning they’ll get if you can’t find a way to keep that charcuterie board chilled.
The good thing about being a freak about functionality and quality is that you can rely on me to weed out all of the product fails for you. I’ve compiled a list of what I consider to be the most essential items for a hassle-free, successful and cool tailgate event or outdoor party. You can shop the list below, everything is linked in bold. I’ve also included a little explanation for why I recommend that particular product.
24 Essential Tailgating Items For A Hassle-Free, Successful Party
🏈 Blackstone 28″ Griddle: We’re big fans of our Blackstone. We have a smaller one for camping and tailgating, and then a giant one at home on our patio. IMHO, you can cook a wider variety of food with much less stress than a grill.
🏈 Bartesian Pro – Holds 5 Mix Bottles: Uhm, hello?! Who DOESN’T need their very own premium cocktail machine? You can buy a variety of mixers and incorporate different liquors, and they all taste great!
🏈 Crown Shades 10×10 Pop Up Canopy w/Side Wall: Frankly, I don’t know how anyone can function at a tailgate without a canopy for shade. Even in the cooler fall months / locations, you should keep your food out of the sun. And it’s a nice way to signal to the tailgaters around you where your space begins and ends.
🏈 Yeti Tundra Wheeled Cooler: I am 100% a Yeti snob, and I’ll never apologize for it. And if there was an illness caused “Yeti Shopping Addiction” I could legitimately be diagnosed with it. I cannot get enough of these products. (If you don’t believe me, scroll to the end of this post to see a pic of my very own Yeti collection.) There really is a lot to be said for a well built, highly insulated cooler. In addition to tailgating, we spend a lot of time by the pool, on a boat at the lake, and camping. I don’t remember how we ever functioned before Yeti coolers, except to say that we spent a lot of our vacation time running back and forth to the store to buy ice as we struggled to keep food and beverages cold. Thank you, Yeti, for making our lives easier!
🏈 Yeti Rambler 42 oz With Handle: In addition to the quality of Yeti products, I love their tumblers (all sizes and purposes), but for reasons you might not expect. First, I have a sensory issue that means I can’t stand for my hands to be sticky, damp or cold. Long before Yeti’s were a thing, I would wrap my glass or cup in a paper towel to protect my hands. I still do it if we’re at a bar. That’s me, keeping it classy, LOL! Yeti’s don’t sweat and they don’t really change temperature on the outside, which keeps my hands happy. Ok, technically it’s my brain that causes the sensory issue, so Yeti’s keep my brain happy. The other reason is because they don’t sweat on my furniture. I hate seeing water rings all over the countertops and I certainly don’t want my wooden furniture to be ruined.
🏈 Yeti Rambler Wine Tumbler: Thanks to menopause, I can’t really tolerate wine very often. I wake up with a racing heart in the middle of the night after just one glass. Back when I could drink it, I loved the wine tumbler for keeping white wines chilled. My daughter developed a love for Pinot Grigio while we were in Italy, so she has proudly taken over my Yeti wine tumbler collection.
🏈 Yeti Rambler 10oz Lowball With Stone Texture: I’m not the only one with a Yeti addiction. My entire family suffers from it as well, but for their own individual reasons. My husband, “Mr. TSP,” is really into Old Fashioned’s lately, so he loves the highball tumbler.
🏈 Timber Ridge Oversize Directors Camp Chair with Folding Side Table: If you have kids in any type of sport, then your ass has spent far too much time in the uncomfortable, classic folding camp chairs. They have zero convenient ways to store a drink or other random stuff that you carry. They’re horrendously designed to force you to sit slumped over in a C-shape and give you back problems later in life. Thanks for that, kids! Please allow me to introduce you to the adulting camp chair. It’s comfy, it supports your back and allows you to sit up properly, and it has a sturdy table with a cup holder. You’re welcome!
🏈 College Team Premium Cornhole Boards with Lights and Case: You can get these for a number of different college teams from this manufacturer. I highly recommend upgrading to the kit that includes the lights. If you’ve ever tried to play cornhole after sunset, then you know how impossible it is to see the board, much less get a bag in. Now that your eyes are getting older (translation: your vision is going to shit), you’ll appreciate having the light kit even more!
🏈 Double Decker Insulated Hot or Cold Food Carrier 9×13: This one seems pretty self-explanatory. Whether tailgating or transporting a cold or hot dish for a dinner party or holiday festivities, everyone need a casserole dish carrier. –>TIP: If transporting hot foot, I heat up a couple of clay or ceramic trivets and put them under the dish in the bottom of the carrier. If transporting cold food, I put a couple of small ice blocks or the ice sheet (see link below) under the dish in the bottom of the carrier.
🏈 Limo Easy Chilled Dip Bowl, Holds Ice or Ice Sheets On Bottom- With Lid: We pretty much use these every weekend, whether indoor or outdoor and whether hot outside or not. Even when we entertain indoors, I’ll use these for any dip that needs to stay cold.
🏈 Simply Genius 3-pack Large Tall 17×17 Pop-up Mesh Food Tent: These little beauties fall into the “why didn’t I invent that?” category. They might look like your grandmas doilies, but who cares. They’re supremely functional. They pop open like little umbrellas. You place them over your dishes outside to keep the flies away. Lift them up to serve yourself some food and plop them back down to keep the flying critters away. It’s really just so perfect.
🏈 Chilled Plastic Serving Platter With Lid, Multiple Compartments – Holds Ice Or Ice Sheet Underneath: Perfect for keeping your veggies and fruit chilled. I like to put the re-usable frozen ice sheets in the bottom (link below), or frozen ice blocks. You can also just fill the bottom with ice, but then it sweats a lot and the ice melts faster than the sheets or blocks. To each her own.
🏈 Re-usable Freezable Ice Mats To Put Under Serving Dishes: These little genius inventions are like ice blankets for your food. Lay them across your food in the cooler or place them under a serving dish to keep things cool. They don’t melt into a water mess, so I prefer them to ice cubes.
🏈 Prodyne On Ice Charcuterie Tray With Lid: Similar to the other chilled serving tray linked above, except this one seems like a better layout for charcuterie. Use it however you prefer!
🏈 Superdeal 6′ Table – Folds In Half For Easy Carry: 6 foot outdoor tables are a necessity, whether you’re an adult who wants to serve a lot of food, or a college kid who wants to play pong at every tailgating event (or maybe you’re both). These are my favorite because they fold in half, making it easier to transport them in smaller SUVs and easier to carry.
🏈 Smiry 6′ Vinyl Check Table Cloth With Elastic To Prevent Blowing Away: Ok, hear me out on this one. I’m sure you’re thinking “Really Lori, aren’t all table cloths created equal?” To which I shall respond: “Hell no, they are not all equal.” I spent years trying different cutesy little tablecloth weights to keep them from blowing away on breezy days – to no avail. Those little weights might be darling, but they don’t work for shit. We tried clamps from the hardware store, but they don’t fit well around tables that have a thicker edge. And then one day we were at a campground and another camping family had these on their table. And my brain exploded. This one also falls into the “Why didn’t I invent that myself?” The elastic keeps the tablecloth from blowing away, and in general keeps it taught across the top of the table. Perfection!
🏈 Metal Caddy For Plates, Silverware, Condiments: As silverware caddies go, they’re pretty much all the same. I happen to prefer metal over wicker or plastic. They can get sticky, so metal is easy to throw in the dishwasher and it’s stronger than plastic ones. I also usually look for one that is big enough and has enough compartments to also hold paper plates, napkins and condiments in addition to silverware.
🏈 Stanley 40 oz Tumbler: Ok, if you’re paying any attention at all, you know that I’m a Yeti girl. (Hello, did you read the commentary around the links above?!) I’m only linking to Stanley because there are so many of you who are on the Stanley train. I happen to think they aren’t quite as good in the quality department as a Yeti. The Stanley lids are a cheaper quality plastic, as are the straws. Regardless, I’m not judging you if you prefer Stanley products. To each her own.
🏈 Stanley 64oz Pitcher: Great for keeping a big batch of skinny margaritas cold!
🏈 JBL Portable, Water Proof Speaker: These little speakers pack a powerful punch. They’re a perfect size to throw in a backpack or bag, and can hang from your pop-up canopy. We keep a carabiner hooked to ours so we can hang it wherever is convenient. These happened to be on special during Prime day for super cheap, so I grabbed a few of them. We use one by the pool or for tailgating, I keep one in my office, and my son always takes the third one with him to hang out with his buddies.
🏈 Blackstone Grill Kit: If you’re going to invest in a Blackstone, then I really recommend you invest in their tool set too. They’re high quality, and have the proper weight / balance in your hand.
🏈 Ultimate Tailgaters Package 20′ Flagpole Kit: You can’t tailgate without flying your team’s flag high in the air! It’s some sort of unwritten tailgating rule, I swear! This kit is handy because it can be extended 20′, but collapses down to a small size for travel.
🏈 College Flags And Banners Company Collegiate 3×5 Flag: You can choose from a wide assortment of college flags from this retailer.
Proof Of My Yeti Addiction
Just in case you thought I was joking…..here is my current Yeti collection. There are probably a few missing from these pics, a they’re spread around the house and in our cars. We rarely drink out of normal glasses. What product do you buy more of than you probably need? Drop a comment below to let us know!
Cheers, lovelies!
