Have you ever been loading up your tailgating gear and had to guess how much propane you had left in the tank? You would normally pick it up to test the weight of the cylinder or maybe shake it around to get a feel for how much propane is in there. Pretty scientific stuff huh? The worst part is after you complete this highly accurate guessing game testing procedure, you end up running out of propane anyway. You then transform into The Moocher, begging people to put your half-cooked meats on their grill. You now have become “that guy” that no one wants to have around all because you underestimated your propane levels. Not anymore.

I recently discovered a tailgating product that takes the guesswork out of figuring out just how much propane is left in your tank. It’s called The GasWatch and it works similarly to the gas gauge in your car. You wouldn’t get in your car and start driving without checking to see how much gasoline you have in the tank, right? Then why would you start grilling without knowing how much propane you have left?

Easily connect between the propane tank and regulator on any Type I connection. You don’t need tools to attach it. Just hand tighten it to your propane tank and then connect your regulator to the GasWatch. Open the valve and the gauge immediately tells you how much propane you have in the tank. If the needle stays in the green area, you should have plenty of propane to grill at your tailgate. If the needle hits the yellow area, it means the levels are getting low but you still have enough to finish what you are grilling. Once the needle hits red, the tank is almost empty and it means you have about 10 to 15 minutes of grilling before your tank goes empty.

The electronic model of The GasWatch even has a remote LED display unit that sounds an alarm when the tank level is low. In addition to built-in leak detection, there’s also a safety feature on the device to keep flow below dangerous levels for additional peace of mind while tailgating.

The devices are available at stores and home centers including Lowe’s, Target, BJs, Sam’s Club, Sears, Wal-Mart, Ace Hardware, True Value, Handy Hardware, Home Depot and other local hardware stores. The original GasWatch sells for $19.95, the GasWatch Digital Deluxe goes for $24.95, $29.95 for the electronic version and $24.95 for the GasWatch Universal.

Honestly, for less than 20 bucks, isn’t it worth it to have the peace of mind knowing you won’t run out of propane at your next tailgate?