If you’re thinking about getting into competitions, it can be
overwhelming trying to figure out what’s needed to get there.  I’ve
only done 2 competitions, so it’s still pretty fresh in my mind.

First of all, get a checklist.  Smokin’ Guns BBQ and Catering, Inc.,
have a couple of checklists that are great.  There are 2 lists, either
of which are great starting points.  I took one of these and modified
it for what I knew I needed differently, but it gave me a good list to
begin.  Even with this, there have been things we’ve forgotten or not
thought of until we were there.

However, one thing that’s not on
the list that I would recommend to anyone is to get a bunch of clear
storage bins with lids that go on tight.  We got shallow and deep bins,
none of which were expensive.  They really help for a couple of reasons:

• It
  puts things in boxes of a size that you can deal with.  Our first comp,
  we used a couple of big boxes, but they were so big, everything was
  just a mess in them by the time we were done.
• You can see in them enough so that you don’t have to open each one trying to find an item.
• The look nicer than cardboard boxes.

The
next thing is to figure out how you’re going to set up when you’re
there.  I try to layout the site on the computer briefly before
leaving, knowing how big the site will be (each contest will tell
you).  I know we’re going to have a couple of EZups that are 10′ x 10′,
so that’s probably going to be one side of the site, and the cookers
will go on the other side. 

You’re going to get need
supplies.  I forgot enough foil somehow, and someone had to go to the
store to get it.  This is just a pain, so get it ahead of time.  We
also get a big pack of Bounty paper towels, as we go through a lot of
them.  I put my utensils in a toolbox so they’re handy, but there’s
also a shallow bin with grilling tools (spatulas, turners, etc.).

You’ll need at least 5 coolers:

1. Pork and Beef
2. Chicken
3. Drinks
4. Other Food
5. Warming

If you can, taken an extra.  Check with the event to see if they’ll supply ice so you only need enough to get there.

We
use 2 tables; one for display of whatever my wife wants to display, the
other to work on.  The one to work on goes in the back to try to
discourage people from taking meat off of it.  We have to figure out
how with out table, but if you can get PVC that is cut to about a foot
each to put the worktable’s legs into, you can easily raise the table
so you can stand when you work.  Ours have a flat part at the botton of
the legs, so we have to work harder at figuring out how to raise the
table.

Take more than enough chairs, and make them as
comfortable as you can; you’ll be in them a lot.  You also want some
form of lighting.  We have a task light, but we also have strings of
pig and cown lights that help with the ambience.

The big thing
we have to make sure we have is someplace to sleep!  I have a tent, but
I have to find it; once I have it on hand, it will work great as it’s
an 8 person tent, so anyone cooking will have space in it.  We also
include a good, long extension cord and a long hose; comps may give
access to both electricity and water, but you have to get it to your
site.

Cooking can’t be done using propane, but lighting wood or
charcoal can be lit with propane… so we take a turkey fryer to light chimneys of
coal.  This works so much easier than paper; it gives both the heat to
light the charcoal and the platform on which to set the chimney.  Which
brings me to charcoal; I take double what I think I’ll need, and I put
it in plastic garbage bins with tight lids in case it rains. 

There’s
a lot to think about, but if you think it through, you don’t have to
worry once you’re on the road!  If you have any other items that you
didn’t think about until after doing a competition, let me know.