Fall means football. And football means tailgating – our pre-game ritualistic feast observed with religious fervor across this great sports-crazed land of ours. Refer to it a “picnic in the parking lot” and you’ll incur the wrath of a fired-up 280-pound grid-iron fan in full face paint and a day-glow rainbow wig. And her boyfriend.

Tailgate parties take some planning to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. To get some advice I spoke with Stephen Linn, editor of The Ultimate Tailgater’s Handbook (Rutledge Hill Press, $14.99).

“My number-one key tip is always use a checklist,” Linn says. “You may think you know what to bring, but it’s the little things, like forgetting to bring the bottle opener, that can kill a good party.”

Whether or not you've ever had to use the bumper of your truck to open your beer, you should download a complete tailgater's checklist from Linn's site, www.theultimatetailgater.com.

Click here to grab it.

And for those of you who like to plan way ahead of time, you can download the tailgate planning guide. Click here to grab it.