The pre-game parking lot festivities, tailgating, is part of the modern American football tradition. People nowadays prepare some pretty comprehensive picnics, bringing grills and tables as well as bountiful feasts. How can a motorcycle enthusiast participate in the festivities?

If you’re invited to a group event where most of the participants will drive cars, you can always volunteer to bring paper plates. As long as you keep them dry, you should be able to carry them under your jacket. And let the folks with big trunks haul the coolers, the grills, and the hot and cold food.

But if you’re on your own, or you want to contribute more, think about your luggage. It’s not insulated, so you can’t safely carry food that needs to stay cold or hot, but you still have a lot of leeway.

The hard-shelled black classic saddlebag keeps anything locked down and away from the weather. You get over 2,400 cu in of volume in each bag. You might even keep some food cold if you pack it in ice and wrap the whole thing well.

The Dayrunner shown here is made of polyester and has a foam-lined interior on the back. It can be mounted on the luggage rack or on the seat. A rigid floor panel keeps the sides from sagging and wrecking the frosting on your cupcakes. It’s got both handles and backpack straps, so you can easily carry your stuff to where you plan to eat. In addition to the big pocket, it’s got four side pockets—a sandwich or two, ketchup and mustard (be careful, because it stains), salt and pepper shakers.

The CTB 1050 Deluxe Tourer pictured at can also be mounted to sit on the passenger seat or on the luggage rack. The interior is fully lined to hold the shape. Four large side pockets are easily accessible and there are also two front pockets. You can add a top mount roll bag, too. The main compartment holds 42 liters and expands to hold over 51 liters.

Consider the big sissy-bar bag. It measures 17.5" x 8" x 25" and has three pockets. This one has studs, but there are plenty of other styles available.

This black trunk bag, is made of PVC and mounts to the luggage rack with a Velcro® strap and D-rings. An adjustable strap makes it easy to carry. Because it’s water resistant, you could try carrying cold items with ice—all well-wrapped. It has a main compartment and two side compartments, all with zippers.

The wide-angle slant bag is designed to follow the contour of the exterior shock. Check it out here. It measures 12" x 14" x 7" and has a big pocket.

If push comes to shove, you can empty your tool bag and put some snacks into it. Eagle Leather carries many options, and most of them have instructions that will tell you not to carry water or ice in them. For an example, check out this tool bag. It’s got a hard sheet inside and holds its shape, so it won’t crush your potato chips. At 10 inches, it’s on the small side. This model, shown here with studs, is available in many design configurations. At 18.25" x 7.5" x 10.5" it’s considerably larger. It too holds its shape and it has four pockets.

Consult the experts at Eagle Leather for more luggage options you can use when tailgating, and post your pictures on our Facebook page.

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