Five things to do and five things to not do while tailgating a Packers game.

Don’t: Say no to an offering of homemade Apple Pie drink from a jar on a cold day or any day. You will feel better afterwards. (Note: all alcohol-related advice goes for those 21 and up. We’re assuming you know this but there it is.)

Do: Wear something Packers-related. People will wonder about you if you don’t, and really it’s not that hard and maybe you shouldn’t be going if it is.

Don’t: Say yes to an offering of an entire jar of Apple Pie drink with the stipulations being you finish it on the spot. Or at least really give it some thought. (You probably shouldn’t do it, though.)

Do: Remember the kickoff time. Noon games, especially for tailgating purposes, can really sneak up on you should you decide to sleep in a little too long – better to get an early start. The opposite goes for Sunday or Monday Night Football contests. For those, pacing is essential.

Don’t: Stop eating. Because it’s tailgating and the Packers and food is awesome.

Do: Try to forget about the game, pregame. This is a personal opinion, but we’ve found that it’s better to try and think as little about the actual game as possible leading up to it. No need to stress or analyze too much before the thing starts; rather, enjoy the atmosphere and whomever you’re with.

Don’t: Play catch without enough parking lot space. There are grills and buffets and drinks and televisions set up everywhere, and a game of catch with a Miller Lite affect – no matter how many times you’ve thrown the pigskin through that tire swing in your backyard – is going to make your neighbors more than a little uneasy. Be a good neighbor.

Do: Set up a post game meeting place. Whether it’s a rendezvous back at the vehicle, outside a certain section of Lambeau, at the Stadium View, wherever, just make sure you plan this out beforehand because cell phones can go haywire around the stadium with the amount of people trying to get service, and you don’t want to be scrambling to find your group amidst the chaos.

Don’t: Forget stuff, because nobody likes that feeling. If you do forget something, though, and it’s not the tickets – if you forget the tickets run or drive as fast as you can – try to forget about forgetting it. We’ll probably be okay without the ham rollups.

Do: Tailgate at all. You’re going to a Packers game and a big part of that, to us at least, is the tailgating experience. One way or another, get out and about around Lambeau before the game starts. Soak in the atmosphere and the different flavors of smoke wafting about. High five complete strangers. (This is pretty easy: simply say something good about the Packers and lift up your hand and someone will hit it.) Do tailgate because tailgating is fun no matter what else happens. If the game’s outcome is good, it’s a catalyst for everything else. If it’s not so good, hey, at least the tailgating was fun.