A tailgate checklist covers nine things: tickets and parking, a cooler and drinks, the grill and fuel, food and serving gear, shade and seats, a game and music, weather gear, cleanup supplies, and a plan for getting home. Here's the full list. Check your stadium's rules first, because a few of these are banned at some lots.
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Before you leave the house
- Game tickets, downloaded to your phone (cell service jams at the gates)
- Parking pass, bought ahead and saved to your phone's wallet (many lots are cashless)
- Your stadium's lot rules: open time, grill fuel, glass, tent size. Find your stadium
- A clear stadium bag (most stadiums cap it at 12 x 6 x 12 inches)
- Phone charger or power bank
- Cash and card (some lots are card-only, some vendors cash-only)
Cooler and drinks
- Cooler, plus a second one for raw meat
- Ice: more than you think
- Drinks in cans or plastic (glass is banned in plenty of lots)
- Water, and plenty of it
- Bottle opener and koozies
- A backpack cooler if you'll walk the lots, like our Tailgate Trekker
Grill and fuel
- A grill your stadium allows (charcoal, propane or neither: check first)
- Propane tank or charcoal, plus a lighter or chimney starter
- Long tongs, spatula, grill brush
- Meat thermometer
- Heat-proof gloves
- A metal bucket or the lot's coal bins for hot coals
- Fire extinguisher (some stadiums require one)
Food and serving
- Food prepped at home: meat marinated, burgers pattied, sides made
- Buns, condiments, toppings
- Snacks and dips that hold up outside
- Plates, cups, napkins, cutlery
- Serving spoons and a cutting board
- Foil, foil pans and zip bags for leftovers
- Paper towels and wet wipes (you'll use twice what you think)
Ideas: what to cook at a tailgate. Serving it hot? Here's how to keep food hot at a tailgate.
Shade and seats
- Pop-up canopy, sized to your lot's space limit
- Weights or straps for the canopy
- Folding chairs
- Folding table
- A wagon to haul it from the car
Games and music
- Cornhole boards and bags
- A football
- Bluetooth speaker (kept at neighbor volume; some lots ban amplified sound)
- Team flag to mark your spot
More: 20 ways to run a better tailgate.
Weather
- Hot: sunscreen, hats, extra water, a fan or mister
- Cold: base layer, hand warmers, blankets, a wind shell
- Wet: rain jackets, tarp, a dry bag for phones
Cleanup
- Trash bags and recycling bags
- Paper towels and wet wipes
- A bin for used coals or ash, if your lot doesn't have one
- Hand sanitizer
Safety and the ride home
- Small first-aid kit
- A sober driver picked before the first drink, or a rideshare plan
- Meeting spot in case your crew gets split up
The details: tailgate safety, minus the lecture.
What not to bring
- Anything your stadium bans: glass in plenty of lots, wood fires at Arrowhead, fryers at AT&T Stadium and MetLife, charcoal at Ohio State
- A bag bigger than your stadium's limit (it goes back to the car)
- A grill or gadget you've never tested at home
The 10 things we'd never leave without, and why: tailgating essentials. The whole playbook: how to tailgate.