Tailgate Party Must-Haves
For some, few things are better than a football game and the party that precedes the show.
In the parking lots of stadiums all over the country, it's almost impossible to escape tailgate parties that range from simple to spectacular.
With the help of techno gadgets, much of the fun and scoring at a football game occurs not on the field, but instead on the asphalt.
David Gregg, senior editor at "Best Magazine," visits The Early Show on Tuesday to show us cool items likely to excite even the tailgater that has everything.
WEBER Q GRILL
The Weber Q Grill is the first hybrid gas grill that can act as both a full-functioning backyard grill and a portable gas grill. The Q features enough room to cook 10 strip steaks, 15 burgers or some big, bad bratwurst! This gas powered beast weighs 40 pounds.
Suggested price: $180
www.weber.com
THE DAIQUIRI WHACKER
The Daiquiri Whacker is the world's first totally gas powered blender! This wacky whacker is totally portable and is the same size as a standard blender. It includes the fuel bottle, motor oil and an unbreakable blender jar. You will no longer be restricted by extension cords or generators. The 23cc Homelite motor has enough power to whip up a batch of your favorite high-octane mixed drinks faster than you can say "Dos Margaritas Por Favor!"
Suggested price: $259
www.gasblender.com
THE COLEMAN PACK-AWAY TABLE SET FOR FOUR
The Coleman Pack-Away Table Set for Four is small enough to fit in any size car or SUV, yet functional and sturdy enough to stand up to frequent use associated with camping and tailgating. The set includes a table and two benches. The table folds flat and stores inside the padded bench seats and the benches latch together to form the outer storage case with handle. Folded, the case is 36 by 11 inches in size and is just 5 inches thick. The set weighs a little less than 24 pounds. The table is all one piece, meaning easy set-up and no parts to lose.
Suggested price: $85
www.coleman.com
THE SIRIUS SPORTSTER
The Sirius Sportster was designed to enhance Sirius' exclusive broadcast of NFL games. The Sportster features a Game Alert Prompt that lets you know when your favorite team is playing and a Game Zone that lists every sport program on the air. The Sportster head unit allows you to connect with optional docking stations ($50) for the car, home, boat or a boom box, making it the most portable of Sirius devices. Sirius Satellite Radio features 65 commercial free music channels and 50 news, sports and talk channels.
Suggested price: $100 plus $12/mo
www.sirius.com
BUSHNELL'S INSTANT REPLAY BINOCULARS
Bushnell's Instant Replay Binoculars feature a built-in instant replay function, a digital camera and mini moviemaker. These 8X magnification binoculars feature a tiny flip up screen that allows you to replay or record the action. The binoculars come with a 16MB Compact Flash card that stores images and movies. Its movie function is always on. Say you're watching a 4th and 1 on the gridiron, and you want a replay. You simply press the movie button and it will record the previous 30 seconds. Its 2.1 mega pixel still camera produces decent shots but don't expect digital camera quality since the lens optics are different. The binoculars have a USB port for transferring images to your PC.
Suggested price: $600
www.bushnell.com
Here is David's list of the top three must-haves for "diehard tailgaters."
KVH TracVisionA5 Automative Satellite Receiver
The KVH TracVision A5 Automotive Satellite Receiver and the low-profile antenna easily integrate with any in-vehicle video system so you will never miss any televised pre-game festivities. Leave your DVDs and videotapes at home and instead enjoy more than 125 channels of live satellite TV programming and music on the go. Standing less than five inches, the A5 satellite TV antenna provides uninterrupted reception of satellite TV signals on open roads throughout the continental United States.
Suggested price: $2295
www.kvh.com
HONDA EU 1000i
Some tailgaters use an arsenal of gear that consumes enough power to run a small town. Honda's EU 1000i lightweight and super quiet gas power generator is just the solution for portable TVs, blenders, and even larger appliances. It weighs 29 pounds and runs up to 8.3 hours on a single tank of gas. This portable power plant is a lifesaver for emergencies as well.
2005 GMC SIERRA 1500 HYBRID
The is a gasoline/electric hybrid truck that is approximately 10 to 12 percent more fuel efficient than the standard gasoline version. The Sierra's Vortec 5300 V8 engine is every bit as powerful and reliable as the gas powered model. It also features a 120-volt AC power made available through four outlets. The Sierra Hybrid is the only truck that will give hardcore tailgaters the advantage of powering heaters, refrigerators and several big screen TV's on a built-in generating station.
Suggested price - approximately $30,000
www.gmc.com