By Eric Christensen

Tailgating just got a whole lot tastier. Traeger now brings the same passion and pellet burning smoker in a smaller size for the tailgater. The Tailgater is ideal for a big day at the game or big day in the field. You can take the Tailgater to any outdoor event or a weekend getaway in the woods, without taking up very much room. The Tailgater Grill is offering a Sportsman’s Warehouse exclusive that comes with an inverter to use with your vehicle for some off-road smoked cuisine. This exclusive Tailgater Grill also comes with a full length, all-weather grill cover. The Tailgater’s compact size and portability gives you a variety of opportunities to wow your friends and add a different flavor for your outdoor cooking menu.

98fbacc4e587dc03f2c3e6a184a5c007Traeger has made the legs on the Tailgater collapsible to fold under the belly of the smoker to maximize portability of the grill. Adjustment knobs are easy to loosen and tighten. The grill weighs in at 62 pounds, which is easily moved from the back of your vehicle to the ground by one or two people. From the ground the wheels can take your grill to your location quite easily.

I liked the fact that I could put some ingredients in the drip bucket and other cooking necessities inside the grill when traveling to our outdoor destination. We also took the grill to a river camping spot close to our home. Even my kids had no problem carrying the grill closer to the camp site. We used an extension cord along with the inverter to gain some ground away from the truck so we could cook close to the river. The smell of the smoker and the noise from the river made for one of our best family outings to date. My kids enjoyed learning to smoke their meal in a beautiful and fun setting.

If you have never cooked with a pellet grill, then you are really missing out. The ease and simplicity of the slow smoked process helps increase the flavor and experience. I first thought using a smoker might require some firefighting equipment to survive the smoke and also a big pile of wood to cook up some steaks or a rack of ribs. I quickly learned the smoke is contained in the body of the grill and that the pellet grill is extremely low maintenance, all the while the auger slowly fuels the pellets in the firepot to keep the temperature even. Traeger uses an LED multi-purpose thermostat to adjust the temperature for a slow smoked rack of ribs or a high heat juicy prime cut of beef. The wood pellets work amazingly at creating flavor within the smoke, creating a heat bath through an induction fan.

I had an opportunity to visit with Traeger at their new headquarters in Salt Lake City to talk about Sportsman’s Warehouses exclusive Tailgater Grill. It was apparent that they take serious pride in not only the grill they are selling, but also pride in helping their customers enjoy their experience long after the initial purchase. They are constantly looking to develop new recipes for their customers to experience. The grill came with a recipe book, which is great for a novice like myself. It simplified what pellets to use with what type of meat for optimal flavor. Traeger takes great pride in every aspect in the development of their grills. Stop in and check out the new exclusive Sportsman’s Warehouse Tailgater Pellet Grill at your local store and you too can start enjoying the many advantages of ‘slow smoking’.