How To Tailgate In Style | From Beer Pong To Airstream Trailers
If you're one of the few that don't know what tailgating is, it's a party of sorts that is held around the tailgate of a vehicle. It's been adopted by sporting events, with hundreds of people showing up to games early with their barbeques and beer to celebrate socially. There are definitely some must-haves when it comes to tailgating but we'll skip the list that includes food and folding chairs, giving you a handful of luxury gadgets and accessories that can easily transform a regular tailgating party into a much classier affair.
Just remember to bring a power inverter so you can power many of these electronics up.
The Chippewa Five High Design Beer Pong Table
Speaking of drinking alcohol, this stylish luxury beer pong table by Chippewa Five is meant to be a conversation starter. Due to the unique design, you can play the game in a "skeet-shot" style, which brings in a new level of fun and challenge. The table is made from Poplar wood, with internal electric wiring and LED lights for the acrylic triangles that illuminate the plastic cups. There's a panel that can be removed, with storage space hiding within, and cast iron bases that help keep it steady. Costing $799, getting this table to your tailgating party may be a bit of a challenge, but it will definitely attract everyone within a mile radius for a few rousing games.
If you want to keep your drinking a little more covert than beer pong, this Cecil flask is for you. Each unique flask (costing around $450 depending on the model) is welded from flat sheets of stainless steel, hand finished, and stamped with a design number. Your appearance options include brass plated, polished stainless steel, or a super high glass paint in white or black. Holding about two shots, the hipflasks can even be customized with your initials if you'd like (available only with the brass and stainless steel versions).
Airstream's are pretty classic, making many think nostalgically of their childhoods, and would be great for any tailgating party. Why not stand apart from everyone else, with their average cars and trucks, and pull up with this Sport Airstream? The compact trailer comes in two sizes, the 16'4" model and the 21'8" model, each with its own floor plan. Surprisingly roomy inside, the two Sport trailers each have their own lights, water, showers, and cooking fuel, plus a large bed that takes up one end. Boasting a lightweight frame, the Airstream Sport should be easier to tow than their larger models and can be handled by most small and midsize SUV's. You can find the 16' model for around $39,306 and the 21' model for around $48,000, but contact the company for more specific prices.
If you want to keep your drinks and perishable food items chilled, you may want to invest in a YETI cooler. Designed to keep your stuff colder than any other portable icebox, YETI builds their products to withstand some pretty rugged treatment, making them better than the disposable boxes you buy at the last minute in the grocery store. The cooler features super thick walls and PermaFrost Insulation (which is pressure-injected and meant to maintain ice temperature), while the ColdLock Gasket keeps unwanted air out while sealing in the cold air. The Tundra model comes in 13 different sizes, ranging anywhere from 17 pounds to 110 pounds, with prices jumping from $259.99 to $1,299.99.
Photo Courtesy of YETI Coolers
TEC Cherokee Portable Infrared Gas Grill
Grilling is pretty much a must at a tailgating party and you're not going to be able to wheel your home grill over very easily, making this portable TEC model a great choice. Retailing at $899, this grill is light enough to travel with and cooks with infrared energy, distributing heat evenly. It promises that due to the heat distribution, you'll always get moist, charbroiled burgers because the infrared energy eliminates the hot air problem that is often responsible for drying the meat out. This is a great companion piece to the beer pong table because the more you drink, the more you should eat. After all, you don't want to pass out and miss the entire football game.
Bang & Olufsen's BeoSound 8 Dock
Any good party needs a great soundtrack. With B&G's beautiful BeoSound 8 ($999) you can fill your party area with the beats you love, either from an iPad, iPhone, iPod, or even a computer (think laptop here). Coming in white and black, the dock is designed to give the best sound quality possible, giving the speakers a conical shape that lend fidelity and depth to the sound. While the unit itself is limited to two colors, you can choose between yellow, orange, silver, red, black and white for the fabric speaker covers, which is great for showing team allegiance.