Game day is a lot of things to a lot of people. A family tradition in the living room, a pair of tickets at the stadium, a night out at the bar with some friends. For some, though, it’s getting to the stadium early, popping open the rear of your car or pick-up, and opening a cooler full of beer while the game blasts over the radio. Those people are tailgaters.

Tailgating requires a lot of preparation and equipment. If you don’t have just the right tailgating gear, you can have a real bad time. Fortunately, years of experience across the country means that it’s no trouble at all to get just the right set of gear.

First, you need your grill. Propane is probably the most efficient type of grill you could use, but charcoal adds its own special flavor to whatever you’re cooking up. Accessories for the grill are a good idea: tongs, an apron, grill cleaner, etc. You don’t want to grab a set of sizzling brats with your bare hands, after all.

Speaking of cooking, you need to make sure your food is fresh when you’re ready to throw it onto the fire. That means a cooler of sufficient size, with plenty of ice and a tap at the bottom to drain the water when the ice is melted. Your cooler should be big enough not just for ice and food but, of course, for beer. What’s tailgating without a case or so of beer to enjoy while you listen to the game?

Of course, you’ve got to actually be able to listen to the game. A lot of tailgaters turn to a radio. It’s the traditional method of tailgating, though some tailgaters bring a satellite receiver or an antennae television so that they can watch the game. It may seem strange to watch or listen to a game in the parking lot of the stadium it is taking place in, but tailgating isn’t about being sensible, it’s about having fun.

After you’ve got the essentials of tailgate gear, you need to get your tailgate clothing. That means apparel and colors that show which team you support. Just like the audience in the stadium, you want to be able to tell everyone at a glance who you’re rooting. Mutual supports of the same team often come together in a tailgating party, sharing food and beer and listening to the game together. The right clothing makes what was a tailgate with friends into a community event, and that’s what sports are all about, after all.

It is that sad time of year where both college football and NFL seasons have ended. Football fans everywhere twiddle their thumbs, and wait anxiously until the new season begins. Before you put all of your football and tailgating gear away, you could use the spring and summer to brush up on your tailgating skills so you are prepared when football begins again.

To tailgate is to take part in a beautiful American sporting tradition. It involves arriving early for a sporting event with a group of friends and cooking lots of food, drinking lots of beer, and playing some games. Tailgaters are not limited to football games, but football seems to be the sport where tailgating is the most popular. Tailgating can be as simple or elaborate as you want. Some fans roll up and grill some hamburgers and hotdogs and have a few drinks before heading into the stadium. Other fans go all out in their tailgating. They have big tailgating RV’s or buses, cook an elaborate spread of food, and play great tailgate games like Cornhole or Ladderball. To bring your tailgating up a notch or two here are some things to consider:

·       Food. Tailgating begins and ends with food. If you want your fellow tailgaters to rave about their time you need to improve your food. Take the summer to go beyond burgers and hotdogs. Learn a new chili recipe or dip that will blow your friends away.

·       Drink. This is aspect of tailgating is almost as important as the food. In fact, some might consider drinking even more important than the food. Take this offseason to discover some different brews to pull out for your fellow tailgaters. With the popularity of craft brews, there are a wide variety of styles of beer to choose from so that everybody will be satisfied with their drink choice.

·       Equipment. Tailgate games are a great way to enjoy the time before entering the stadium. You can easily find games like Cornhole at Walmart that are easy to pack up and take with you. They are also fun at family BBQ’s, so you’ll have all spring and summer to practice your tailgate games. Go beyond sitting in a camp chair next season.

·       Clothing. Step up your game next season by addressing your tailgate style. Tailgate Clothing is a great brand that stocks your favorite college sports teams as well as stylish vintage t-shirts and sweatshirts. Surprise your fellow tailgaters at the first tailgate of the season with your fresh new look.

Football season may be over, but it isn’t too early to start preparing for next season. If you address these four areas, your tailgating good go to a whole new area. Your friends won’t want to tailgate with anybody else, and you will be the envy of the parking lot.