SkinsFanInTennessee Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Plus, we drive up from Charlotte for the games, so it's harder for us to tailgate being so far away. We stay in a hotel in Waldorf (since that's where we're from and it's a n easy drive to the stadium), so we aren't able to carry alot. Ok I gotta bust your balls for a min..lol We drive 9 hours from Chattanooga, TN and we still tailgate. Just because you don't have room in your car doesn't mean you can't tailgate. The ES tailgate has plenty of "core members" who have plenty of equipment, food too, just throw a little $$$ their way. If you want my 2 cents, stay at the Radisson or Holiday Inn Express off Exit 17. You can sleep a little longer, and still get to FedEx and tailgate. I understand your reasons for staying where you do because of family. My suggestion would be stay close to FedEx a game or two a season so you can tailgate. Also, with your mom's age, she needs to get a green parking pass, I know that's not always easy to do. But I'm betting if you or she called the ticket office, explain that it's just too far from the Grey lot to walk, maybe they'll hook you up. Trust me, I know what it's like to have to make a long drive just to make the games. But tailgating for me, is what makes it fun. Try it a few times, and you'll be hooked. That is if you enjoy good food, beverages, and friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusqySkin Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 When you travel 2 hours from Harrisburg, PA, you don't want to arrive without your tickets or parking pass! I know others have done the same....I've read the posts in past years. It happens. You are excited about getting on the road and seeing the Skins. I've done it, from the same town. Great thread...Looking forward to more posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenB30Owner Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 My tailgate has gotten bigger as the years (5 years now). Usually starts with a 7am drive from Northern Va to Fedex. I get to Fedex right before 8am and pop some Mimosa's and a shot of crown to celebrate being at the best place in the world. Lots open at 9am for a 1pm game and me and 2 other guys of mine set up 3 tents, Corn Hole, Tv with Direct TV , Beer Pong and a couple grills. Usually a good time! If you dont want to bring anything and want an amazing atmosphere and the best... yes THE BEST food? Check out the guys at Hail BBQ. They set up in the purple lot right off of Arena Drive. www.hailbbq.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DButz65 Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 I bought this grill before last season and glad that I did! Its pretty compact too which I needed http://live.charbroil.com/articles/camping-with-the-grill-2-go Below is my car (dodge magnum) loaded up with everything before a game, grill, a 10x10 tent, 3 chairs (redskins colors!), 2 folding tables, 2 coolers that came with the grill and some games (not pictured my extra cooler) The small propane tanks can be bought cheap in a pack of 4 from any surplus store, and I usually never go through one while tailgating..two 4 packs last me the entire season. You can also buy a adapter for the larger tanks, but really no need to! The only downfall of the grill is, if it gets windy it will go out, but if you position the vents on the back so the wind doesnt blow into it by just turning the grill, it works perfectly! It has a drip pan under the grate, so cleanup is easy when you get home and doesn't get all in the burners. For years I used a small weber smokey joe charcoal grill but it wasnt big enough for tailgating. Check amazon, you can get them cheaper than straight from char broil DICKS sporting goods usually has great deals on tents/canopy's, the Redskins gear was too expensive anywhere...I bought a red 10x10 canopy for like $60, easily pops up and folds down... and DICKS usually has good heavy duty chairs that support my fat ass up to 350lbs, they are the TAILGATING line of chairs, got 4 of them for $20 a piece, again from DICKS SPORTING GOODS, love that store! When I dont feel like tailgating myself, I just park over near the hailbbq lot and join those guys and throw 20-25 per person with me in the tip jar! best TG at Fedex IMHO..HTTR!! P.S. *RANT ON* PEOPLE PLEASE GET YOUR STUFF OUT OF THE DRIVING LANES IN THE PARKING LOTS.. A lot of jam ups before games are because some off you take up over half of the lanes making it impossible to drive down them *RANT OFF* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popeman38 Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 When I dont feel like tailgating myself, I just park over near the hailbbq lot and join those guys and throw 20-25 per person with me in the tip jar! best TG at Fedex IMHO..HTTR!!WHAT? When you don't feel like tailgating yourself?:pfft: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOF44 Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 P.S. *RANT ON* PEOPLE PLEASE GET YOUR STUFF OUT OF THE DRIVING LANES IN THE PARKING LOTS.. A lot of jam ups before games are because some off you take up over half of the lanes making it impossible to drive down them *RANT OFF* And on the other side of this don't come rollin in you're Expedition XL at noon trying find a close parking space when everything is obviously full in the area and try to do a 3 point turn hitting 2 people and 3 cars in the process!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjfootballer Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Ok I gotta bust your balls for a min..lol We drive 9 hours from Chattanooga, TN and we still tailgate. Just because you don't have room in your car doesn't mean you can't tailgate. The ES tailgate has plenty of "core members" who have plenty of equipment, food too, just throw a little $$$ their way. If you want my 2 cents, stay at the Radisson or Holiday Inn Express off Exit 17. You can sleep a little longer, and still get to FedEx and tailgate. I understand your reasons for staying where you do because of family. My suggestion would be stay close to FedEx a game or two a season so you can tailgate. Also, with your mom's age, she needs to get a green parking pass, I know that's not always easy to do. But I'm betting if you or she called the ticket office, explain that it's just too far from the Grey lot to walk, maybe they'll hook you up. Trust me, I know what it's like to have to make a long drive just to make the games. But tailgating for me, is what makes it fun. Try it a few times, and you'll be hooked. That is if you enjoy good food, beverages, and friends. Biggest thing is, we don't want to drag a bunch of stuff on a 7 hour trip. I know some others do it and like to do it, but it's not our thing. We stayed at the hotel next to the stadium one time, but we really didn't like it. We kind of like our routine. We go back to Waldorf, get some dinner and then relax in the hotel (Hampton Inn in Waldrof is excellent with free breakfast) and get some rest for the drive the next morning. She did get a Green Parking pass this year, but I'm not sure I want to park so close as it just makes it harder to get in and out. We have a good routine (there's that word again, haha) of getting in and out of the stadium. Turn left out of the Gray Lot, turn right at the light and bam, we're on the beltway headed south. Easy in, easy out. We'll try to get over there this year to the ES tailgate. We went there the first year and met Pez, Huly and Cheif Zee. I can't remember some of the other names. If we come, you can call me PJ as that's Paul, Jr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LetThePointsSoar Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 And on the other side of this don't come rollin in you're Expedition XL at noon trying find a close parking space when everything is obviously full in the area and try to do a 3 point turn hitting 2 people and 3 cars in the process!! Ha, love this. I'll add some ideas & recipes when I get a bit more time to type, but I LOVE this thread. I made the mistake of not tailgating my first 2 games at FedEx, and take it from me, DON'T make this mistake. Tailgating just brings the experience together like no other. ES Tailgate is always a lot of fun, MTH always has a great tailgate, but IMO, the pre-tailgate tailgate is even the best part. Nothing like being at the stadium @ 6am for a 4pm. Two of the best days of my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenB30Owner Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 And on the other side of this don't come rollin in you're Expedition XL at noon trying find a close parking space when everything is obviously full in the area and try to do a 3 point turn hitting 2 people and 3 cars in the process!! This is so true and then get mad when people are telling you there is no parking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinsfan1311 Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 I can't over-emphasize thea importance of making a packing list and checking it off as you load up. We have an ES member, ( I won't name names, Kaos), who left his tickets at home . Most folks have covered the staples, but one that I don't see is disposable gloves, (latex or nitrile), for safe food handling and keeping your hands clean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romank Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Besides the normal stuff like canopy, chairs, grills, we recently picked up an Inverter for powering the TV and lights and for extra cold games we got some propane heaters that mount directly to a 20 Lb tank, couple of those and a shot or 2 of Jack and life is good no matter how cold it gets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Taylor Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 and for extra cold games we got some propane heaters that mount directly to a 20 Lb tank, couple of those and a shot or 2 of Jack and life is good no matter how cold it gets. I prefer my 70,000 BTU forced-air kerosene heater (affectionately known as the F-4) blown into a three-walled canopy. The propane heaters are susceptible to wind and can ice up in extreme cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 My tailgate has gotten bigger as the years (5 years now). Usually starts with a 7am drive If you leave out at 7am you're already late. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonnyandSam Posted July 4, 2012 Author Share Posted July 4, 2012 Besides the normal stuff like canopy, chairs, grills, we recently picked up an Inverter for powering the TV and lights and for extra cold games we got some propane heaters that mount directly to a 20 Lb tank, couple of those and a shot or 2 of Jack and life is good no matter how cold it gets. I like the propane tank heater idea! THAT may be my purchase for this year. I've had the inverter / TV setup of about 8 years now. I always get a crowd around me after our 1pm game as I tune in the 4pm games. Everyone wants to know how an opponent did or is doing. I didn't do this as much last year because I can now get out so quickly that I'm on the road and gone by the time 75 percent of the fans are still leaving the stadium. Thanks for the suggestion. That's what this thread is all about. So that fans can learn from each other. ---------- Post added July-4th-2012 at 05:12 PM ---------- I prefer my 70,000 BTU forced-air kerosene heater (affectionately known as the F-4) blown into a three-walled canopy. The propane heaters are susceptible to wind and can ice up in extreme cold. OK...now I have to reconsider......although not wild about possibility of the kerosene smell and spillage.... ---------- Post added July-4th-2012 at 05:12 PM ---------- ---------- Post added July-4th-2012 at 05:22 PM ---------- And on the other side of this don't come rollin in you're Expedition XL at noon trying find a close parking space when everything is obviously full in the area and try to do a 3 point turn hitting 2 people and 3 cars in the process!! We had a guy do this with his Tahoe and everyone was telling him all the way down there were no parking spaces and it was a dead end...no way out. He eventually ran over a guys corn cob game and wouldn't cough up the coin to replace it. He drove right out over the curb. Guy tried to crash the front row of the Handicapped lot after noon for a 1pm game. When there is a space, folks have been great about moving their stuff out of the way and assisting the vehicle driver in getting into the parking space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenB30Owner Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 If you leave out at 7am you're already late. Im still one of the first people on Arena Drive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Im still one of the first people on Arena Drive Just not 1st. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romank Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 I prefer my 70,000 BTU forced-air kerosene heater (affectionately known as the F-4) blown into a three-walled canopy. The propane heaters are susceptible to wind and can ice up in extreme cold. Wow, now that's what I call a warm Tailgate. I assume you're running a generator to power the blower on that torpedo? I've been trying to stay away from a generator, don't want to carry the gas and also kerosene for the heater but perhaps one is in our future. So far we haven't had an issue with icing on the propane heaters but surely understand it could happen on an extremely cold day. I try to keep the 20 lb cylinders in the house the night before the game and wrap them with a blanket at the game when it's very cold to keep pressure up. ---------- Post added July-4th-2012 at 09:09 PM ---------- I like the propane tank heater idea! THAT may be my purchase for this year. I've had the inverter / TV setup of about 8 years now. I always get a crowd around me after our 1pm game as I tune in the 4pm games. Everyone wants to know how an opponent did or is doing. I didn't do this as much last year because I can now get out so quickly that I'm on the road and gone by the time 75 percent of the fans are still leaving the stadium.. yeah, no doubt the TV is a crowd magnet but makes it fun when we get 15 - 20 people standing around having a good time. When my wife attends games with me we park in the handicapped parking just outside the Comcast booth so as folks are heading to the gates or leaving they'll stumble across us. Makes for a fun day. We're lower level so only takes a short time to get to our seats or back out to our tailgate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Taylor Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Wow, now that's what I call a warm Tailgate. I assume you're running a generator to power the blower on that torpedo?I've been trying to stay away from a generator, don't want to carry the gas and also kerosene for the heater but perhaps one is in our future. So far we haven't had an issue with icing on the propane heaters but surely understand it could happen on an extremely cold day. I try to keep the 20 lb cylinders in the house the night before the game and wrap them with a blanket at the game when it's very cold to keep pressure up. Yeah, I run a 2000 watt Honda EU. It holds about 1 gallon of gas - usually enough for three tailgates, so no need to carry a gas can. The heater holds 5 gallons of kerosene and lasts about the same, so no need to carry extra kerosene. My only precautions are to wrap the vented fuel cap of the heater with cellophane during transport to keep fumes from escaping and propping the fuel cap end of the tank with a 2x4 to keep kerosene from swishing through the vent during transport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenB30Owner Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Just not 1st. Oh now thats a challenge I hear! My girlfriend is going to be so pissed at you when I get her up for the 4am wake up call! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjfootballer Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 And on the other side of this don't come rollin in you're Expedition XL at noon trying find a close parking space when everything is obviously full in the area and try to do a 3 point turn hitting 2 people and 3 cars in the process!! Talked to my mom yesterday. We're in 448, Row 11, seats 5 & 6 this year. We came down about 13 rows. Anyway, she called and asked them to switch her back to the Gray lot. They did. We park in the lower Grey lot in the handicapped spaces. They asked why she wanted to go back because the Green Lot is closer and she said, the walk helps to unstiffen her joints (has Rhumatory Arthritis and has had some joints replaced) to prepare for 3 hrs in her seat. We come out of the Gray lot across from the RV Lot, make a left, make a right at the light on 202 Landover Rd and on the Beltway south. When we come in, we take a left on Arena Drive, right on Brighseat and left into the lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOF44 Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Anyway, she called and asked them to switch her back to the Gray lot. They did. Interesting. You're the first I've heard being allowed back in the gray lot upon request. Glad you got what you wanted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Oh now thats a challenge I hear! My girlfriend is going to be so pissed at you when I get her up for the 4am wake up call! Still late. A few of us here have been known to camp out the night before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark The Homer Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 The nice thing about leaving early is you make great time. The traffic signals are still flashing yellow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinsfan1311 Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 The nice thing about leaving early is you make great time. The traffic signals are still flashing yellow. Also....if the game falls on a Sunday when daylight savings time starts, don't forget to set your clocks back. Seriously. And...to keep the thread OT, plan for a post-tailgate by bringing some food that's easy to cook ,or prepare, afterwards. People are always hungry after the game. We keep it simple, by breaking out the camp-stove and grilling hot dogs for our ES family after the game.* There's something about a freshly grilled Nathan's frank and a cold beer after a game that tastes so damn good. I can't put my finger on it, but it just does! *Big shout-out to Drew's (SkinsFanTennessees)Dad, for helping us out every week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOF44 Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 People are always hungry after the game.We keep it simple, by breaking out the camp-stove and grilling hot dogs for our ES family after the game.* There's something about a freshly grilled Nathan's frank and a cold beer after a game that tastes so damn good. I can't put my finger on it, but it just does! *Big shout-out to Drew's (SkinsFanTennessees)Dad, for helping us out every week! Cold Beer??? You always have a bourbon! But seriously those hot dogs sometimes taste better than filet mignon after a loooong day of tailgating and cheering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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