tailgating Archives -

How to Watch TV at the Tailgate

Nothing quite adds to the social hour like setting up a tailgate TV to watch other games before game time. We get a lot more traffic to our tailgate spot when we have the TV hooked up. Luckily, you only need three things to watch TV at tailgating. We have added a bonus 4th item for mounting your TV with ease!

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Television: This is the obvious must-have for watching TV at tailgating. One tip for deciding on your TV for tailgating is how easily you can transport it from home to the game. We know that we if we get a TV too large it will not fit in our backseat. Another tip, we don’t recommend buying a high end television. Accidents can happen. Don’t buy a TV that would make you cry if it gets damaged. No one likes to be sad before the game even starts. Click here to see our 2020 List of Tailgate TVs.

Power Source: If you are not tailgating nearby an outlet, invest in a small generator. The power source we use for our tailgate is the Honda EU1000i Inverter Generator. This generator is popular because it is easy to transport and extremely quiet. While there are many sizes to choose from, this size can easily run a TV and satellite dish.

A Satellite Dish or Antenna: If you have DISH or DirectTV as your regular service provider, adding a dish to your account is easy and often extremely inexpensive. For us, adding to our DISH account is $7 per month. The KING Tailgater Bundle includes Portable Satellite TV Antenna and DISH Wally HD Receiver has all you need to start tailgating with Dish Network at your tailgate. “Bunny Ears” have come a long way and another option to watch TV at your tailgate is a TV Antenna. This will give you local channels but we also recommend checking out the FCC DTV Reception Maps to check regional availability ahead of time.

A Tailgate TV Mount: While it isn’t necessary we will file this under a bonus item. One of the items we love is our Tailgate TV Mount. This freed up our table space allows us to make much more efficient uses of our space. We opted to choose a mount that allows for us to open and close the tailgate of our truck.

Over the years, we have accumulated a large amount of tailgating items. When we first started to travel to games we started small and over time added as we grew with new ideas. Below is our list of our favorite 5 Simple Tailgate Must-Haves!

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Take a Seat!
While I tend to stay mobile and social throughout a tailgating event, one of the easiest items to pack is a chair. This simple tailgating must-have will have your feet thanking you later after many hours of cheering! This Stansport Folding Director’s Chair with Side Table is a hit not only at our tailgate but other events such as family reunions, outdoor concerts, or anywhere that you may need a portable seat. It’s nice to have a small side table to hold your drink, your phone, or even a plate of food. For anyone who has played the balance game with a plate full of food in your lap, it’s a lifesaver!
Add some rockin’ tunes!
One of our favorite items for not only tailgating, but for year round use is our ION Audio Tailgater Portable Bluetooth Speaker. We’ve used this for parties, outside while working in the yard, and more. It’s easy to transport and rolls like luggage with a handle and wheels. Added bonus, you can charge your device at the same time!
Keep Your Drinks Cool!
We have entirely way too many coolers. We only justify this because it seems like we need a compilation depending on what we are doing. Right now, my go-to for a cold canned beverage drinking afternoon is my YETI Hopper.You an pack a ton ice and canned beverages without it being too heavy to lug around. It also fits nicely in the floorboard of the car due to having a more flexible exterior.
A Folding Table
We currently use this Lifetime 6 foot Folding Table. Because it folds in half, it travels easily and doesn’t take up a lot of space in the vehicle. We go back and forth between cloth and plastic tablecloths depending on the theme and what we are serving on it. You can easily put your coolers and other items underneath saving the top for all of your delicious food items. Speaking of other items to store under your table, that leads me to number five, a tailgate box!
Tailgate Box
Right now, we use a large plastic storage box for our items we will need almost regularly for every tailgate. A sampling of our items include:
Health Basics
– Sunscreen
– Bugspray
– First Aid Kit (I’m fairly certain someone read: me ends up needing something out of it)
Food Serving Items
– Paper Towels
– Paper Plates
– Napkins
– Cutlery
– Serving Baskets
Items to store food after we finish eating
– Plastic Wrap
– Plastic Baggies
– Aluminum Foil
– Chip Clips
Cleaning Items
– Clorox Wipes
– Hand Sanitizer (Because, port-a-potties)

What are some your simple tailgate must-haves? We would love to hear from you!

*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running!