Competition Kit

Yes, it's up to what you want to spend.

Here's a checklist to start with:

Smokin Guns Checklist

Now just fill in the blanks as to what you have and what you need.

For a trailer, you can go as simple as a 5x8 open trailer and just throw everything on there. You can move up to a larger trailer like I used last year, with the smokers mounted, and then up to an enclosed trailer..and so on.

The one thing I would invest in is a spare parts kit. Hate to get to a contest and have a problem with something. Doesn't happen often, but if it does you don't want to be shut down at a contest.

I'd also get a marine deep cycle battery and invert and run the smoker off of that.

Then think about your comfort. Pop-up tent. Dealing with the elements (rain suit) chairs,

It goes on and on.

When you DO get ready, I'd set up in your back yard, just like it was a contest and use only what you take there. You can't run in the house and get something. First 2 or 3 contests I forgot stuff, but I took that checklist and made my own.

Now I have a trailer so I don't forget (but I still do).

Thanks, SmokinOkie, for coming through for me in both forums! I read through the list and was glad to see that beer made it. It will be especially hard on me and the teammates if I forget that.

Good thing about living in Florida is that everyone tends to have a generator, and marine batteries are almost as plentiful as car batteries.

When you say a spare parts kit, are you just talking about a controller, augur motor, and the other parts CS sells for the FEC? Or are there other things you've had go bad on you that you'd recommend having on hand?

Before I had a trailer, I'd load everything in the back of my pickup (with camper shell). Carpet in the bed to protect the FE. 2 6' tables, 10x10 canopy, a couple of comfortable chairs, cooking spices & implements, 1 cambro or a cooler to use for holding hot stuff, 1 cooler for meat, 1 for drinks & eats, bedding for sleeping (in the back of the PU). A WSM will fit inside the FE -- everything but the base, which I used to protect the control knob.

It works this way -- no more than a 2 person team.

Thanks, Candy Sue, for some more helpful advice--and for letting me know about the 2 person team! Looks like I still have a bunch to learn, but hopefully not the hard way....

I was going to reach out to you sooner or later, as I've been following some of the pellet posts and I want to ditch my Traeger sawdust--I mean pellets--for another brand. From what I've read and from what I've experienced, it might not be a bad idea. Was at the BBQrs Delight website and I was happy to see my holy trinity of wood available. God willling and the creek don't rise, I'll probably be placing an order in the next week, though probably not the pallet of pellets I've seen other people talk about. Just don't know where I'd put it.

Sorry, but what's a WSM?

Hey, with all the stuff in the truck there's only room for two! My #2 is often a 13# rat terrier named Tweety. I'd bring some beer to bribe help getting the FE out of the back of the truck!

WSM is Weber Smoky Mountain bullet smoker.

I'd say give me a call on your pellet order, but I'm out today. Trying to figure out if I can cook a contst with one good arm???

Dan,
Where are you located in FL? Nina and I live in Ocala, if you are near feel free to drop by and we will share the way we do it. We are going to be in Grant, FL next week at a competition,You might want to stop by and take a look. Home BBQ.com, ands Firehouse team will be there also.
Bill
Billandthedixiechicksbbq.com

Craig/Smokin' Butts should be there with his FECs and maybe pigsalicious? from Tampa way with his.

Bill:

I'm in Plantation, west of Ft Lauderdale. That's mighty kind of you to extend the invitation, and I imagine I'll take you up on the offer if I'm out that way--and sometimes work does take me up there. Man these BBQers are the best of the best! Please feel free to look me up should you be down this way, as well (though there're no competitions down here unless it's for Salsa dancing.) It's hard me for me to get out of the neighborhood since I've got two little ones at home, but I'm looking to try and enter the Smoke on the Water contest in Winter Haven this coming Feb., so maybe I'll be seeing you there. Good luck at the Jack, BTW!

Candy:
What happened to your arm?!? Hopefully it's only a temporary thing. Let me know when you'll be in so I can say hi and get some real pellets!

A buddy and I had to carry the FE about 100 feet into my backyard after they dropped the crate in my driveway. Not something I'd want to do every day. Looks like I'm going to go for a covered trailer, maybe just rent one for contests until the kids are a little older, and just push the 100 up a ramp.

P.S. Bill, I thought you might appreciate a photo from last year after Wilma went through. Another use for the FE: keeping the pool screen from going through a sliding glass door during a hurricane.... It's been moved back to its rightful place against the wall, but I put it in front of the door and I was glad I did.

Here is another minimal list for a small team,posted by our friend Rick Salmon,a top comp cook from Olathe,Ks.

I may have made that post in jest but let's take a look at what I take.

1 6 ft table
1 4 ft table
1 chair
4 coolers...greens, meat, one for a hot box and one for cold drinks
1 tub for extention cord, thermometers etc
1 tool box for tongs, plastic bags, spatula, thermopen
1 ez up
1 knife roll
1 box of spices
1 box of sauces/honey
1 tub of disposable steam pans, full and half
1 bucket for cleaning supplies
1 roll of foil
2 banners
1 sleeping bag
1 cot
1 clean shirt
4 bags of charcoal and a few chunks of wood

All this cam be taken down and packed up with trailer hooked up and road ready in about 20 minute.

Rick

Thank you very much for the checklist, Okie.

I was getting ready my stuff for Ponca and just about forgot the Beer but your checklist got me back on track.

See 'ya at Ponca then?

Yep, see you at Ponca...last year you brought over a slice of brisket to FE and he and I sampled it and determined it was "eat-able".

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinOkie:
Yes, it's up to what you want to spend.

Here's a checklist to start with:

Smokin Guns Checklist

Now just fill in the blanks as to what you have and what you need.

For a trailer, you can go as simple as a 5x8 open trailer and just throw everything on there. You can move up to a larger trailer like I used last year, with the smokers mounted, and then up to an enclosed trailer..and so on.

The one thing I would invest in is a spare parts kit. Hate to get to a contest and have a problem with something. Doesn't happen often, but if it does you don't want to be shut down at a contest.

I'd also get a marine deep cycle battery and invert and run the smoker off of that.

Then think about your comfort. Pop-up tent. Dealing with the elements (rain suit) chairs,

It goes on and on.

When you DO get ready, I'd set up in your back yard, just like it was a contest and use only what you take there. You can't run in the house and get something. First 2 or 3 contests I forgot stuff, but I took that checklist and made my own.

Now I have a trailer so I don't forget (but I still do).

How many watt converter?
FEC100 will run fine off of a converter?

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinOkie:
Yes, it's up to what you want to spend.

Here's a checklist to start with:

Smokin Guns Checklist

Now just fill in the blanks as to what you have and what you need.

For a trailer, you can go as simple as a 5x8 open trailer and just throw everything on there. You can move up to a larger trailer like I used last year, with the smokers mounted, and then up to an enclosed trailer..and so on.

The one thing I would invest in is a spare parts kit. Hate to get to a contest and have a problem with something. Doesn't happen often, but if it does you don't want to be shut down at a contest.

I'd also get a marine deep cycle battery and invert and run the smoker off of that.

Then think about your comfort. Pop-up tent. Dealing with the elements (rain suit) chairs,

It goes on and on.

When you DO get ready, I'd set up in your back yard, just like it was a contest and use only what you take there. You can't run in the house and get something. First 2 or 3 contests I forgot stuff, but I took that checklist and made my own.

Now I have a trailer so I don't forget (but I still do).

Our team uses 400/800 inverters along with the deep cycle marine batteries. Works real well for us.

Don't forget the duct tape! That was what I was missing on our first competition. We had generators and let folks connect into them, but we forgot duct tape.
Peggy