The Ultimate Clemson Tailgate

Here's my list of 'must have' and 'I wish I could have' items for setting up a tailgate. The most important part of a tailgate, besides the people of course, is the food and beverages. So, I'll start with the grill.

The Weber Q 220 Portable Propane Gas Barbecue would be perfect for the smaller tailgate party. At $199 it's not too expensive and could easily cook hamburgers/hot dogs/kabobs/etc for quite a few people. It would fit into any vehicle headed to the stadium. The optional 20lb tank adapter means the tailgate could go on for a couple days before running out of propane! Quick and easy setup and cleanup makes this an great pick for the simple tailgate.

I've searched all over the internet for the perfect tailgate grill to tow behind the Jeep, but none have met all my criteria. So I guess I'll have to go with a custom made grill. The grill pictured to the left is very close to my ideal grill trailer. It's a custom grill by BQ Grills, based out of Elm City, North Carolina. Road Trip! The main change I'd make to the grill pictured is that the side opposite the lock box, I'd want a spot to put a large cooler (featured further down the page) rather than burners. The lock box looks a little short in the picture so I'd probably want a slightly longer trailer with a bigger lock box. The lock box is very important for locking up some of the valuables that will follow during the game. The grill would be big enough to cook all the meat you'd want..for as many people as you have. I might not cook a whole pig on it, but it would be perfect for some boston butts. I'm going to guess that the price would be around $3,000-5,000 so it might take a couple years of serious tailgating to consider this as a viable option.

After enjoying it so much at my last tailgate of the 2006 season, I'd probably have to splurge for the ability to make a large helping of Frogmore Stew/Beaufort Boil/Lowcountry Boil. Items required would be an aluminum stock pot with lid and basket. For this I chose a 120Qt ($280) stock pot. In order to actually cook it a stainless steel single burner patio stove ($120) would also be required. I suppose to keep the price down, a 32Qt Turkey fryer kit (not pictured--just put the image on the left and right together, imagining a much smaller pot) for around $200 would probably be quite sufficient. The added benefit of the burner is that it can be used to help keep the tailgater's warm when it's freezing outside.

You can't have food without drinks, so a couple coolers are required. My original thought for the ultimate trailer listed above was a 150Qt Igloo cooler (139.99) sitting opposite the lock box. After putting some thought into it however, I realized that having a couple smaller coolers would be better. Having at least three 40Qt ice chests ($42.99 each) would allow you to have one cooler full of ice, one cooler of beverages on ice, and one cooler for the pre-cooked food. Since most beverages will come out of a can or bottle, for the bigger tailgate I'd add a 4th 40 Qt ice chest for a second batch of beverages.

Other accessories would be necessary for the food and beverage portion of tailgating. Clemson oven mitts ($9.99) and utensils such as spatulas, tongs, a couple sharp knives may be required for food prep. The Paw branding iron (34.95) is a must have for any true Clemson tailgater when cooking hamburgers or steak. Clemson koozies for cans ($2.99) and bottles ($5.99) can come in handy on those hot August/September/October/November game days. For those who enjoy their salt & pepper may like to have some Clemson shakers ($15.95). A table or two will be needed for food prep and serving. One could choose a couple cheap 3' X 3' portable card tables (~$60 each) or they could go all out for a Clemson 3' X 6' table (~$150) with the field laid out on top. Since there will likely be lots of bottles and cans, the responsible tailgater needs to have a recycle bin!

In order to escape the sun, the adventuring tailgater must pitch a tent with the Tiger Paw logo and Clemson Colors. For this, I have chosen the Pinwheel Tailgate Tent ($229.95) by Logo Chairs. This 9' X 9' tent helps the tailgater avoid deadly rays from the sun..and keeps him or her dry during rain storms. From personal experience, I know that 15-20 people can snuggly fit under this tent and be kept safe and dry from falling water. Optional side panels ($24.95) can be purchased for more security from the sun and rain. Cheaper tents can be purchased, but this one is well built..and looks cooler. Clemson collapsible chairs (~$8-$30) are also needed for the comfort of the tailgater.

Now for the entertainment portion of the tailgate. The frat boys might have Cornhole and Beer Pong, but I'm going for the more high-tech entertainment solution. An HDTV is a great thing to have at a tailgate. After a very small amount of research I think I've got it narrowed down to the Sharp Aquos LC26D6U 26 inch HD television ($699.99). It should lock securely into the trunk in my Jeep. It would be mounted onto the top of the trunk in the Jeep with some sort of cantilever arm (~$150).

In order to enjoy some high definition goodness while tailgating, an HD source is required. The best way to do this would be to get HD satellite service (~$100 with service contract) and a way to mount (~$50) the dish. Hopefully there would be enough HD football options with the basic HD package because I couldn't see myself ever paying extra for HD sports. I could see bringing the latest NCAA football game on whichever new game system I had at the time though.

Now you ask how we are supposed to power everything? A large car/marine battery could be used, but I like the idea of using the Honda's Super Quiet EU2000i generator ($1079.95). As the name suggests, it's very quiet and it should last all day on 1-2 gallons of gas. It is a bit pricey, but it's safe for all the electronics..and not a bad thing to have around the house during hurricane season.