2019 Tailgating Tips and No-no’s

How to survive tailgating 101

Have you ever felt like the odd man or odd woman out at a tailgating party? Have you noticed that you haven’t been reinvited to tailgating parties this year? There may be a reason! Maybe you’re guilty of a few tailgating faux pas.

Or have you ever thrown a tailgating party, only to find that your guests have wandered off to better tailgating parties or not shown up at all? These tips and lists of things not to do at a tailgating party will help ensure the next is the best one ever.

Don’t forget the bottle openers and extension cords

One of the most commonly forgotten tailgating items is the bottle opener. Thank goodness a lot of bottles have twist tops now, but if you’re into micro-brews, a bottle opener is a much-needed tailgating tool. Pack it in your vehicle the night before the game with your other tailgating gear. And don’t forget the extension cords because they come in handy when you need to hook up a stereo or game with electrical components.

Bring Your Own Tailgating Chair

Have you ever attended a tailgating party and brought your expensive, comfortable tailgating chair, only to find a fellow tailgater taking it over? Make sure that you always have your tailgating chair packed and at the ready. Don’t make the rookie mistake of having to use the cooler as a seat and don’t huff and puff when people ask you to move so they can grab a beer.

Bring Quality Beer and help to clean up

Bringing cheap beer to a tailgating party is about the equivalent of not bringing anything at all. Remember, the host took a lot of time and effort to prepare and cook the food so reward them with a few good brews. And remember, just because you brought a couple of six packs doesn’t excuse you from cleanup duty…it’s good tailgating etiquette to pitch in with cleaning up.

Tailgate-hoppers and Freeloaders

What’s even worse than bringing nothing to a tailgate is freeloading off others and even other tailgating parties. Yes, there are tailgate-hoppers who freeload from one party to the next.

If you’re a tailgate-hopper, then please don’t disappear without your game ticket, leaving the friend who has your ticket to wait for you before the game starts. Also, please don’t disappear with someone else’s ticket.

Beware of the Port-o-Potties

You know what portable toilets smell like, so make sure you don’t park your party near that section of the parking lot. The odor of portable toilets is sure to make anyone’s tailgating party stink. Park within walking distance, but not close enough to smell them. Also, don’t forget to bring a roll of toilet paper because the port-o-potties tend to run out fairly quickly.

Food Safety

It’s important to keep paper towels and hand sanitizer on hand to clean your hands after preparing food. You could also use disposable kitchen gloves if you are really worried about germs and making sure to follow proper food safety guidelines. When you’re pressing hamburger patties or handling chicken, you can accumulate a lot of bacteria on your hands. This can end up on utensils and plates if you don’t keep your hands clean.

Also, NO one wants to go home with a nasty case of food poisoning, so make sure to bring a meat thermometer to ensure the beef or poultry is thoroughly cooked. Instead of stabbing the thermometer into the top of the meat cut, insert it at the sides for a more accurate reading.

The USDA recommends that most meat be cooked at 165°F (73.9°C). For a more detailed list of cooking temperature guidelines , visit the USDA .

Rent a Tent for Rainy Game Days

If you know the forecast calls for rain or extreme heat, consider renting a party tent to keep your guests dry and comfortable. At J&J Tents and Party Rentals we have a variety of party tents that are ideal for tailgating. Give us a call at (919) 977-3691 to discuss our quality canopies for rent or check us out online at https://www.jandjtent.com/