Holiday Gift Guide 2011

December 8, 2011 in Featured, Tailgating Gear

Holiday Gift guide 2011

Last year we published the Holiday Gift Guide 2010 for tailgaters and it was a smashing success. The feedback we got on that post was so overwhelmingly positive that we ended up doing a Stocking Stuffer Ideas the following week. It’s that time of the year yet again and many of you have been asking about if we will do another holiday gift giving guide for that tailgater in your life. The answer is yes and before you ask the next question, the 2011 edition of stocking stuffer ideas for tailgaters is coming next week.

Last year’s gift giving guide included many fun and cool items that can easily be put under the tree this year. But this year’s guide will include new items great for tailgating that have been introduced in 2011 or are just too cool to leave off. So without further delay, let’s get to the Tailgating Ideas Holiday Gift Giving Guide 2011:

GoBar
GoBar – Setting up in less than 60 seconds, this portable bar is made of high strength aluminum that will make any tailgater the life of the parking lot. It comes with three different types of wraps depending on the atmosphere you find yourself in. The three skirts come in a football gridiron, an island style tiki format or plain black when you want to make it classy. Comes with a removable storage shelf that can hold up to 25 pounds while the bar top holds 25 pounds as well. Over 50 pounds of liquor bottles? That’s more than Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton on a weekend bender. The GoBar sells for $89.99 plus $20 flat rate shipping and can be found HERE.

Blacktop 360 Party Hub Grill/Fryer – Normally when it comes to variety in tailgating grills the major choices are either charcoal or propane. The Blacktop 360 hit the market right before football season this year and did so with a bang. The major difference between this cooking machine and all the others is the versatility it brings to the parking lot. As you saw from the video, it has a grill, griddle, warming plate and a deep fryer. Normally with a regular tailgating grill you would need to buy those types of cooking devices separately. The Blacktop 360 combines them all in one and eliminates that problem. Even if you don’t plan on using the fryer to cook up french fries or onion rings, you can use it to warm up nacho dips or soups. The Blacktop 360 is available in stores like Sport Chalet and Dick’s Sporting Goods or online at places like Amazon. The Blacktop 360 typically sells for less than $250 depending on the retailer you choose.

Hitch-N-View – The tailgater on your gift list wants to bring their TV to the game but has no place to put it. Either they no longer have the stand for it or just don’t have the room for one more thing on their buffet table. The Hitch-N-View takes your tailgating TV off of the table and places on the rear of your vehicle via the tow hitch. It even has a fold down tray that can hold your cable box, DVR, video game console or DVD player. It can handle flat screen TVs up to 40″ and is modestly priced at $79.95.

Z-Bench – Most people while tailgating with their pick-up truck sit on the back of the tailgate. After all, that’s probably where the term “tailgating” came from. But this is 2011 and tailgating has evolved. The Z-Bench is not just a high grade aluminum bench that is made from the same materials they use in stadiums and on the sidelines of NFL games. It is also the largest and safest step you can use to get in and out of your truck bed. In addition to that, by using a Z-bench, you no longer have to lug a folding table to the tailgate party. Simply sit facing the bed of your truck and now your tailgate can be used as a table to eat on. Also, while on your way to the game, the Z-Bench can be used as a cargo holder to keep all your tailgating gear tight and snug up against your tailgate. The Z-Bench fits most full sized pick-up trucks, foreign or domestic, and runs $349.00. You can learn more or get your tailgater on your list a Z-Bench by visiting z-bench.com.

Sholf – Most tailgating games you see in the tailgating parking lots are tossing games like cornhole, washers and beer pong. Sholf is a unique game in that it combines two popular games; shuffleboard and golf. Take a look at the video and you will see that Sholf is probably a game your tailgater has not played or seen in the parking lot and will help set his or her tailgate apart from all the others. Affordability is not an issue with Sholf in that it is priced under $50. You can buy Sholf HERE.

Soulra XL

Soulra XL Solar iPod Speakers – This is a portable iPod/iPhone docking station and speakers that has a fold-up solar panel. The 72 square inch enhanced monocrystal solar panel powers the rechargeable lithium ion battery pack and can even charge your iPod or iPhone while it plays. It also comes with an A/C wall outlet adapter so you can charge it with good old electricity from your home wall outlet if you prefer. The cool thing is that if you have a tailgater that enjoys music yet is environmentally conscience, this is the perfect gift. Plays for hours without expanding the carbon footprint and does not even need major direct sunlight. It can charge and play under overcast skies or even indoors near a window. The Soulra XL Solar iPod Speakers will run you about $250 and can be purchased at the Eton Webstore.

Tailgate Partymate

Tailgate Partymate – We all could use some extra room to spread out while tailgating. Typically you have to bring multiple folding tables to get the adequate table space you need to serve food or to have a place to eat. Now comes a brilliant tailgating invention that provides two tailgating tables that attach to your tow hitch and ride safely outside your vehicle. No more hauling tables in and out of your car or truck. Simply lock it into place and drive it home. The Tailgate Party Mate runs $124.95. Click HERE to get the tailgater on your shopping list one of their own.

BecoBall – Although it may look a lot like cornhole this tailgating game will take you back to the days of playing skeeball as a kid. BecoBall does use “Hackey Sack” type balls to throw at the targets but it is the scoring area is what sets this game apart. It has fabric pockets that catch the bags in different scoring zones much like the game of skeeball had different scoring areas. Available in a multitude of color combinations, we are almost assured one of the color combinations will match your tailgater’s favorite team’s colors. Priced under $80 or $90 based on the type and color scheme you prefer, BecoBall can be purchased HERE.

Tanksetter propane base

Tanksetter – Be prepared that if you get the Tanksetter for your tailgater on your list, when they open up this gift they may ask you “what does it do”? First impressions can be deceiving in that after they use it once, they will ask you why you didn’t buy another one. In a nut shell, the Tanksetter widens the base of your propane cylinder to prevent it from getting knocked over during transport or while tailgating. The base on those steel propane tanks are so small they easily tip over which can be very dangerous. If you know a tailgater that uses full sized propane cylinders while tailgating, this is a great gift that will help keep them safe and will save them a lot of headaches down the road. At under $20, it is a great gift for the tailgater in your life. You can get a Tanksetter HERE.

ION Blockrocker – At first glance this looks like a small guitar amplifier but this is way more than that. This is the ION Blockrocker that is a portable sound system that has a docking station for your iPod/iPhone and has AM/FM radio capabilities. It even comes with a microphone so you can either sing along with the songs in a nightmarish parking lot karaoke or you can let the other team’s fans hear how bad their team sucks. The ION Blockrocker weighs less than 20 pounds, has a convenient carrying handle and the built-in and rechargeable battery can give you up to eight hours of play time on a single charge. The Blockrocker will set you back less than $200 and you can find out more by visiting HERE.

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Featured Gear Friday: Tailgate Partymate

November 18, 2011 in Featured, Tailgating Gear

Since starting this tailgating blog back in 2007, we have tested, tried and demonstrated a lot of tailgating gear and written a lot of tailgating product reviews. Some good and some bad. But because we are a blog, a great product we discovered two or three years ago may be lost in the tons of posts we have published after discovering it. Maybe you are a new reader and haven’t had the time to pour through every single post we have done in the past four years. So in order to help out the tailgaters that might not have read about some of these cool tailgating products, we will be doing a feature on products we reviewed a while ago. We call it Featured Gear Friday and this week’s product is: The Tailgate Partymate.

Tailgate Partymate

We all could use some extra room to spread out while tailgating. Typically you have to bring multiple folding tables to get the adequate table space you need to serve food or to have a place to eat. Now comes a brilliant tailgating invention that provides two tailgating tables that attach to your tow hitch and ride safely outside your vehicle. No more hauling tables in and out of your car or truck. Simply lock it into place and drive it home. It’s called the Tailgate PartyMate. Check out the video to see how quickly the Tailgate Partymate sets up.

Necessity is the mother of all invention and the Tailgate PartyMate is no exception. The inventor of the Tailgate Party Mate, Corky Bless, created it in order to provide more flat surfaces while tailgating. While tailgating during baseball season, his grill and other items were taking up too much room on the unfolded tailgate of his truck. There was no room for his wife to prepare the other foods. He came up with the basic design and started welding in his shop at home. After a few prototypes, the Tailgate Party Mate is now in commercial production. The price has gone down drastically since the first prototypes were built and that makes the Tailgate Partymate quite affordable.

You can buy your own Tailgate Partymate directly from our online tailgating store, Shop.TailgatingIdeas.com. The Tailgate Party Mate runs $124.95 plus flat $25 shipping. Click HERE to see more photos and videos of the Tailgate Partymate.

Predictions On Tailgating for 2010

January 12, 2010 in Tailgating Ideas

crystal-ballOkay, so I am late to the “predictions for 2010 party” but keep in mind I am fashionably late. We are 12 days into the new year (some are arguing this is a new decade while others say that starts next year… whatever) and it is time for a little amateur prognostication for the coming year.

Now I am not saying that all of these are going to come true, but based on the trends I have seen over the years, these seem to be likely scenarios. And just for fun, how about a prediction that really goes out on a limb? So without further delay, here are the Predictions On Tailgating for 2010

Tailgating times will get smaller and restrictions will grow – I hate to break the news to you but this is one prediction I hope I am dead wrong on. Whatever you want to point the finger at, the trend lately has been to open up the parking lot gates later and later and closer and closer to kick-off. Whether it is irresponsible drinking or acing like a complete jackass inside the stadium, tailgating is taking the blame for being the lighter fluid that ignites bad fan behavior. Those in a position of power see tailgaters as more of nuisance than an asset to the overall game day experience. With every hour they give you to tailgate, that is an hour you won’t be hungry or thirsty to pay for their overpriced concessions. So if you want this one to not come true, don’t act like a drunken moron when you go inside and give them a reason to kill your tailgating time.

Miami_Dolphins_custom_grill_001More tailgating products will be introduced utilizing the 2″ tow hitch – With more and more trucks and SUVs now parked in the garages and driveways of America, most of those vehicles come equipped with the standard 2″ tow hitch receiver. With so many cars and trucks on the road with this capacity, tailgating product manufacturers will continue to fill this space with tailgating specific products. We’ve already seen The Margaritaville Grill, the Take-a-Seat, the SportMast, the Bubba Keg Grill, the Tailgate PartyMate, the Tow Hitch TV and the Party-a-Cargo all use the tow hitch receiver as a way to create more space inside your vehicle by putting something outside of it. With so many vehicles able to support these items that use the hitch receiver, companies will fill the void with more products.

(Editor’s Note: My only hope is that many of these product manufacturers create new products that are compatible with previously released tailgating gear. There is only 2″ receiver ona  vehicle so to use two of these items a dual-hitch adapter needs to be used. Many of the existing products can not be used in concert with each other if using a dual-hitch receiver. Maybe future products will take this into consideration.)

Struggling college football programs will make tailgating more enticing in order to attract more fans to the games – We all know the college football powerhouses like Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, Penn State, etc. have great tailgating and tremendous fan support. In fact, Auburn was roundly criticized this past season for having a pay service for tailgating on campus. Many argued that the best tailgating spots were reserved for this service and somehow the university was getting a cut of the action. Baylor on the other hand, not a traditional football powerhouse, has made it easier on tailgaters. By offering to provide a pop-up tent, free electric power and free cable TV hook-up all within a 900 square foot space enticed more people to come and tailgate. More tailgaters translates into more fans in the stands. Look to see other football programs desperate for more fans in the stands to make tailgating a more appealing endeavor in order to put more butts in the seats.

binge-drinkers.jpgMore tailgating games will come out that target binge drinkers – Like it or not, many people view tailgating as an outdoor version of a frat party. Because that mentality permeates those young adults that just finished college and now are tailgating NFL games, binge drinking is still a huge part of tailgating. Those same college graduates that had a cool binge drinking contraption they designed and used in college are now trying to bring them to the marketplace. And with the internet so prevalent, opening up an online store is fast, cheap and easy. So even if the product might only have a small niche interest, they will target the tailgating public as a way to get their company to expand.

Companies will introduce products that are specific to tailgating and not just products that can also be used for camping, fishing and other outdoor activities – In years past, product manufacturers would create a great product designed for use outdoors and would target tailgaters as an afterthought. There is a reason why manufacturers call it a Camping Stove and not a “tailgating stove”. That’s because it was designed for camping originally and then, oh yeah, it dawned on them it could be used for tailgating too. In 2010 that will change. Many companies will be rolling out tailgating specific products and they will be labeled and marketed in such fashion. Also, since tailgating is unique in that items need to be small, lightweight, compact and easy to set up and take down within a three or four hour window, these products designed specifically for tailgating will meet the demand.

Jimmy_FootballMajor Fortune 500 companies will target the tailgating consumer with expensive ad campaigns – We just started to see if this past football season and expect next football season to be even bigger. Large corporations are now seeing tailgating as a legitimate past time and not just something people do on the fringe before the game. They have figured out that tailgaters are not only passionate about their teams but about grilling, eating and having a good time before the game. Why do you think brands like Bud Light used Jimmy Football to try and sell beer to tailgaters? Toyota had a running commercial sponsorship during NBC’s presentation of Sunday Night Football called “Great Moments in Tailgating History”. More companies will look at the success of the Bud Light and Toyota campaigns and will turn their advertising eyes towards tailgating. And it won’t just be for football season either. I am expecting companies to target baseball tailgaters as well.

One NFL Stadium will ban any consumption of alcohol in the parking lots after an ugly incident covered in the media occurs – This may be going a little out on a limb but given past history, this is plausible. We’ve seen alcohol fueled riots prior to the Indiana University/Ball State game in 2008 that got a lot of media coverage. Many stadiums are blaming the alcohol consumed prior to games as the reason fans behave so poorly. All it will take is some major catastrophe to happen at an NFL stadium that involves drunk fans posted up on YouTube and smeared all over the 24-hour news cycle for this to happen. The outrage of public opinion will force a knee jerk reaction to ban all pre-game drinking in the parking lots much like they do at PNC Arts Center prior to certain types of concerts that attract a younger demographic. The New York Jets did not sell alcohol at all during the regular season finale at Giants Stadium this season so this could be a real possibility. If you read the back of your parking pass at Angels Stadium it says  consumption of alcohol is prohibited even though most of the police officers roaming the lots look the other way unless you are making a spectacle of yourself. This prediction may not be too far fetched and all it will take is someone to get hurt badly to draw attention to it.

Now that you have read mine, what are your predictions for tailgating in 2010? Leave a comment below and share what you think will happen in the coming year.