What you need to tailgate

Start simple. Add as your game days get bigger.

The foundation (4 to 6 people, a few hours)

Canopy + Cooler

10x10 ft

the largest canopy most lots allow

Start with shade and cold drinks. This canopy comes with its sidewalls and sandbag weights in the box.

Eurmax USA 10x10 Pop-up Canopy$246Shade, and walls when the wind picks up. Four sidewalls and sandbags included.RTIC 65 QT Ultra-Tough Cooler$269The drinks cooler. It holds ice well past a game day.AMK Mountain Backpacker First Aid Kit$57First aid on hand. Tailgating checklists include one.

about$572

Experienced tailgaters also keep a box that stays packed: foil, paper towels, trash bags, a bottle opener, hand sanitizer, and a marker for cups. Pack it once, restock after each game.

Long haul from the parking spot? The Yeti Tundra Haul, $450, puts the drinks cooler on wheels.

The full day (TV and hot food)

Power + Screen + Griddle

1,056 Wh

of battery, manufacturer rated

A TV needs power and a signal. A power station runs it quietly all day. Phone streaming often fails at kickoff, when the whole stadium is on the same cell towers, so experienced tailgaters bring a cheap TV antenna instead.

Everything in the foundation, plus:

Anker SOLIX C1000$430Power for the TV. Smaller stations run out before the day is over.Blackstone Adventure Ready 22 Griddle$214Hot food for a crowd. Two burners on a stand, run off a 20-lb tank.Amerex B417T Fire Extinguisher$60Fire safety at the grill. Tailgaters report some lots require one.Engel ENG35 Hard Cooler$250The food cooler. It stays shut, so raw food stays cold.

adds about$954

Running crock pots or feeding thirty? The Honda EU2200i, $1,199, is the generator tailgaters recommend most. Lock it to your vehicle with a bike lock, because generators get stolen.

The cold months (November and on)

Walls Up + Heater

18,000 BTU

manufacturer rated, run behind the windbreak

The same setup, closed in. Put the sidewalls up on the windy side to block the wind, and the heater warms the space inside. The cooler now keeps food from freezing, and thermoses replace the ice.

Everything above, plus:

Mr. Heater Big Buddy$240Heat inside the walls. Without the walls, the wind carries the heat away.Kidde CO Detector$25Carbon monoxide safety. It rides along whenever the heater does.NOCO Boost Plus GB40$100A jump start in a cold lot. One owner has jumped about 15 neighbors' dead batteries with one.

adds about$365

The bottom line

about $1,892

All three setups together, every product on this page.

Tailgating from the truck?

Truck bed builds

If you tailgate from a truck bed, half this list already has a home. The F-150 tailgate build and Tacoma tailgate build cover onboard power, drawer storage that opens at gate height, and tailgate-surface inserts that turn the gate itself into the prep table.

The small stuff

The small things to restock before every game.

Setup

Stakes and a mallet (wind can flip a canopy that isn't staked)
Fitted tablecloth (disposable ones blow away)
Zip ties and duct tape
Bike lock (generators get stolen)

Cooking

20-lb propane tank (1-lb bottles run out mid-cook)
Spatulas and tongs
Instant-read thermometer
Chafing trays (cook at home, keep food warm at the lot)
Foil and freezer bags

Serving

Ice (more than you think)
Real plates and utensils (paper plates blow away)
Cups and a marker (to write names on cups)
Water (hot days go through it)
Drinks mixed at home in a thermos jug

Weather

Sunscreen
Ponchos (for the walk in)
Hand warmers and blankets (cold months)
Charging cables

Cleanup

Trash bags and a box or can (a trash can within reach keeps the lot clean)
Paper towels and wipes
Hot-water jug (for the BBQ-sauce mess)
Disposable gloves

How we chose

Every pick and warning on this page comes from tailgating threads, owner forums and hands-on tests. Prices are what the linked store charges today.

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