Game day · Tailgating
Tailgating essentials: the football tailgate checklist
Every good tailgate runs on the same six things: something to cook on, something to keep cold, somewhere to sit, shelter, warm layers and power. This checklist groups the tailgating essentials by job, notes what people forget, and shows where a pair of open-ear audio glasses earns a spot in the bag: your own music in the lot, and group shots without handing your phone around.
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1. The tailgate checklist at a glance
A complete tailgate checklist covers cooking, cold storage, seating, shelter, warmth, power and clean-up. Warmth and power deserve the same attention, because they decide whether a cold November tailgate is fun or long.
| Category | Essentials | Often forgotten |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking | Portable grill, fuel, tongs, spatula, foil pans | Lighter, meat thermometer, a second fuel canister |
| Cold storage | Cooler, ice, drinks, prepped food in sealed containers | Extra bag of ice, a second cooler just for drinks |
| Seating and surfaces | Folding chairs, folding table | One spare chair, a tablecloth with clips for wind |
| Shelter | Pop-up canopy with weights | Side wall for wind or rain |
| Warmth and weather | Jacket, blanket, hat, gloves, sunscreen | Rain shell, hand warmers, dry socks |
| Power and sound | Power bank or power station, speaker or audio glasses | Charging cables, a car charger |
| Clean-up | Trash bags, paper towels, hand wipes | A bag for recyclables, a bucket or bin for ash if the lot allows charcoal |
Pack in that order and load the car in reverse, so the canopy and chairs come out first when you park.
2. Grill, cooler and table
The cooking setup is the heaviest part of the list, so keep it simple: one grill, one fuel type, and food prepped at home. A portable gas grill is the easiest to start and shut down in a lot; charcoal takes longer and leaves ash to clean up. Whatever you bring, check the venue’s tailgating rules first, because rules on grills, fuel and generators differ from lot to lot.
- Two coolers beat one. Drinks get opened all day; food should stay shut and cold. Splitting them keeps the food cooler closed.
- Prep at home. Marinate, slice and skewer before you leave. In the lot, you only want to cook and serve.
- A table changes everything. A folding table keeps food, tools and plates off the tailgate and the ground. Clip the tablecloth down if it is windy.
For food ideas, the related searches show people looking for “tailgate essentials food” separately; this guide sticks to the gear.
3. Seats, shade and warmth
Plan for several hours outside before kickoff. Chairs and a canopy are the basics; layers are what make late-season football tailgates bearable. Bring more than you think: a blanket for the chair, a hat, gloves and a rain shell, even when the forecast looks clear. Weight the canopy legs, since an unweighted canopy in a gust is a hazard to the next car over.
Sunglasses belong on this list too. Day games mean hours of low autumn sun across the lot. If you already wear sunglasses to the tailgate, that is where audio sunglasses come in: the same pair you would bring anyway, with speakers and a camera built in.
4. Power, music and the game
Power is the category that quietly ends tailgates early. A dead phone means no tickets, no ride home plan, and no radio call. Pack a charged power bank for phones and small devices, and a larger portable power station if you run a TV, projector or lights. Bring the cables; a power bank is no use without them.
Music usually means a Bluetooth speaker, and a speaker is right for the group. But a speaker plays one thing to everyone, and in a crowded lot it competes with the cars on each side. Open-ear audio glasses solve a different problem: your own sound. The speakers sit in the temples and point at your ears, so you hear music or a podcast while still hearing the people at the grill. You can take a call without digging for earbuds.
- Battery. The OXIVUE M08 and M02C are rated for 7 hours of listening and 4 hours of calls.
- Volume. At high volume some sound leaks, and in a loud lot open-ear speakers will not block noise the way sealed earbuds do. Our glasses with speakers guide explains where open-ear sound works and where it stops.
- Phone needed. The glasses play what your phone plays over Bluetooth. Music, calls and the HeyCyan app need the phone nearby and connected.
- No screen. Nothing appears in your view, so you cannot watch the game through them. For video, it is a TV, projector or tablet.
5. Group photos without passing a phone around
A touch on the temple takes an 8 MP photo from eye level, which is the fastest way to catch the moment the burgers come off or the group lines up in jerseys, while your hands hold tongs or a plate. Photos and short clips go to the HeyCyan app on your phone, where you share them the usual way. There is no display, so you frame the shot by looking at it.
Two courtesy rules apply in a lot full of strangers. First, captures only start with a visible touch on the temple; nothing records unless you start it. Second, ask before you photograph or film people, especially other people’s children, and leave anyone out who would rather not be in the shot. If you head into the stadium afterwards, many venues restrict cameras and recording, so check the stadium’s bag and camera policy before game day. Our recording laws by state guide covers the audio-consent side.
6. M08 or M02C for game day
The M08 is $99 at checkout and the M02C is $109; the main difference for a tailgate is weather. Both have open-ear speakers, microphones, an 8 MP camera and the same three lens choices.
| OXIVUE M08 | OXIVUE M02C | |
|---|---|---|
| Price at checkout (one pair) | $99 (listed $149) | $109 (listed $159) |
| Water | No published water rating | IP65: dust and water jets, not immersion |
| Camera | 8 MP | Sony IMX219 8 MP, dual stabilisation |
| Listening / calls | 7 h / 4 h | 7 h / 4 h |
| Weight | About 42 g | About 41 g |
| Lenses | Sun, photochromic or clear | Sun, photochromic or clear |
| Extra | — | “Hey Cyan” visual AI; magnetic charging |
Prices checked 2026-10-20; checkout price may change. If your tailgates are mostly sunny afternoons, the M08 with the sun lens is the simple choice. If you tailgate in rain or late-season drizzle, the M02C and its IP65 rating are worth the extra $10. For a night game, pick the clear lens, since a tinted lens is wrong after dark. Buying for two? Two or more pairs in one order are 50% off all eyewear. More on the audio side in our Bluetooth sunglasses guide.
7. Before you leave the driveway
A five-minute check the night before saves the classic tailgate failures: no lighter, no ice, dead phone.
- Charge everything: phones, power bank, speaker, audio glasses.
- Check the venue’s lot rules (flames, canopies, generators) and the stadium’s bag and camera policy.
- Fill the fuel, buy the ice, pack the trash bags.
- Check the forecast and pack one more layer than it suggests.
- Agree who is driving home before you leave.
Shopping for a fan rather than packing for yourself? Our gifts for sports fans guide covers audio sunglasses as a game-day gift.
What these glasses will not do: they take no prescription lenses, have no display, need your phone for music, calls and the app, and leak some sound at high volume. The M08 has no published water rating.
Shipping, refunds and warranty. Free shipping from $99. US delivery takes 5–9 business days; international orders take 9–14 business days after shipment, and import taxes outside the US are paid by the recipient. No refunds except transit damage (replaced or refunded); faults are repaired or replaced under the 2-year warranty; change of mind and unmet expectations are not refundable. Compare every model on the comparison page.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best things to bring to a tailgate?
Six groups cover almost every tailgate: a cooking setup (grill, fuel, utensils), a cooler with ice, seating and a table, shade or shelter, warm or rain layers, and power plus sound. Then add the small things people forget: trash bags, paper towels, hand wipes, a lighter, sunscreen and a phone charger. Pack by category and you can check the list at a glance before you leave the driveway.
What not to bring to a tailgate party?
Leave behind anything the lot or stadium does not allow. Rules differ by venue, so read the venue's tailgating page and the stadium's bag and camera policy before you go; many stadiums restrict cameras and recording. Also leave the gear you would hate to lose, a speaker loud enough to bother the next three cars, and anything you cannot pack back up in ten minutes.
What are some good gift ideas for tailgaters?
Practical gear wins: a better chair, an insulated blanket, a rolling cooler, a portable power bank, or a good set of grill tools. A pair of audio sunglasses is another idea for the fan who wants their own music in the lot. The OXIVUE M08 is $99 at checkout. Our gifts for sports fans guide covers that idea in more detail.
How do tailgaters watch the game?
Usually one of three ways: a portable TV or projector powered by a generator or power station, a tablet or phone streaming the game, or a radio broadcast on a phone app. If you only want music or a podcast for yourself, open-ear glasses play whatever your phone plays, without a speaker. The glasses do not show video; they have no display.
Can I wear camera glasses into the stadium after the tailgate?
It depends on the venue. Many stadiums restrict cameras, recording and bag contents, so check the stadium's bag and camera policy before game day. In the parking lot, the main rule is courtesy: captures start only with a visible touch on the temple, and you should ask people before photographing or filming them, especially other people's children.
Will open-ear glasses bother the people around me?
Not at normal volume. The speakers point toward your ears, so the people next to you hear little or nothing at a moderate level. At high volume some sound leaks, and in a loud lot they will not block noise the way sealed earbuds do. That is the trade-off: you hear your music and still hear the conversation around the grill.
How long does the music last on one charge?
The OXIVUE M08 and M02C are rated for 7 hours of listening and 4 hours of calls. The M02C charges with a magnetic connector. A small power bank in the car keeps your phone going, and the glasses need the phone for music, calls and the app.
How fast do they ship, and what is the refund policy?
Free shipping from $99, so a single pair qualifies. US delivery takes 5–9 business days; international orders take 9–14 business days after shipment, with import taxes paid by the recipient. OXIVUE does not offer refunds except for an order damaged in transit, and faults after delivery are repaired or replaced under the 2-year warranty.
What these frames won’t do
- No prescription lenses yet, on any model. If you need vision correction all day, these can't replace your glasses.
- No display. Nothing appears in your view; you hear answers and capture photos and video.
- Open-ear speakers leak some sound at high volume and won't block out a loud train or a windy road the way sealed earbuds do.
- Translation, music, calls and the assistant need your phone nearby and connected. Translation pauses after each sentence, and only you hear the translated audio; the other person reads the reply on your phone.
- M08: no published water rating, so keep it out of heavy rain and spray.
- M02C: IP65 resists dust and water jets, not immersion. No swimming, no saltwater.
Check these before you order: see the warranty and refund policy.