Happy 4th of July everyone! I hope you get to spend time with loved ones enjoying an awesome backyard cookout, family get-together, or maybe even a full-on videogaming adventure with friends across the miles (trust me, it’s a thing). I wanted to share these tips for enjoying the holiday from Mobile Edge, leading designer and manufacturer of award-winning protective laptop cases, messenger bags, gaming backpacks, totes, and more for busy professionals, road warriors, students, and gamers.
There’s More to Great Cookouts than Good Food
Striving to get just the right sear on that juicy steak for your July 4 family cookout is about as American as it gets, next to mom, apple pie, and baseball.
What can you do to make sure your cookout is second to none? See Mobile Edge’s hand-picked cookout tips below, plus learn how Mobile Edge can help you make the most of your July 4 cookout experience.
- Set the mood. Prime everyone for the occasion with patriotic invites, whether mailed, emailed, or posted to social media, and don’t forget the decorations! Flags, balloons, napkins, paper products, you name it—anything red, white, and blue will get partygoers in a celebratory frame of mind.
- Know your audience. You might like big, juicy steaks, but kids might prefer hotdogs and hamburgers, and there’s sure to be a few vegans or vegetarians in the crowd. Make sure you accommodate all dietary likes and needs at your July 4 cookout.
- Ask others to pitch in. Sure, you’ll want to provide the main course and a few of the side dishes vital to ensure your July 4 cookout’s success, but don’t try to do it all. That’s just too much pressure! Ask partygoers to bring salads, desserts, snacks, and even refreshments or paper products to ease the burden. The best cookouts are the ones that have lots of variety.
- Be prepared. Whether you’re cooking with charcoal or gas, you’ll want to put your cooking gear through the paces by firing it up well ahead of time—and don’t forget those grilling tools! What shape are they in? You might even want to trade in that wire brush for a grillstone or other non-wire scraper. The last thing you want is bristles from that grill brush ending up in someone’s food. It’s off-putting and dangerous!
- Keep them entertained. Depending on where you hold your July 4 cookout, you’ll likely have a few lawn games lined up, such as bocce ball and cornhole. That said, what’s a party without music and entertainment for all? Got an outdoor Bluetooth speaker that needs power all day long? What about keeping the teens and tweens (and even some adults) occupied with the latest video game release? This is where Mobile Edge can help put your July 4 cookout over the top.
Mobile Edge Recommends
As cookout host, you can keep partygoers powered up and listening to tunes and gaming all day long by providing access to mobile power banks and/or charging stations for a wide range of their devices, such as Bluetooth speakers, wireless earbuds, game controllers, and even tablets, smartphones, and laptops.
- CORE Gaming’s powerful new 24000 mAh Capacity Power Brick is the perfect solution for mobile power needs. Compact and lightweight, this airplane-friendly device features four outputs, including a built-in AC outlet, and can recharge four devices simultaneously. At 24,000 mAh (88WH), it can double a laptop’s battery life or keep a smartphone charged for a week.
- For those with less-demanding power requirements, the 20,000 mAh 18W PD+QC Fast Charge High-Capacity Power Bankis ideal for charging tablets, smartphones, and smaller USB devices. Word class safety features include TSA-approved capacity, overvoltage protection, temperature regulation, and more.
You’ll even want a way to help keep your July cookout party tech organized and protected. Mobile Edge has you covered there, too, with protective backpacks and laptop cases you can use on July 4 and all year-round.
Here are two popular recommendations:
- Equally at home in an office, dorm, or at a backyard cookout, the Commuter Backpack makes a perfect traveling companion. At just over two pounds, it can hold up to a 16-inch laptop plus other small electronics, clothes, and even travel accessories. The Commuter’s sleek exterior is made of a scratch-resistant, non-abrasive Oxford fabric that is also water repellent. Lockable zippers offer anti-theft protection in public settings, while a reflective back panel provides high visibility for added safety. The Commuter even features an external USB port and charging cable for connecting devices to a mobile power bank inside.
- Originally designed for gamers but embraced by professionals and travelers as a versatile go-bag, the award-winning CORE Gaming Backpack offers ample storage and protection. It fits laptops and gaming consoles like PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch plus storage for cables, chargers, headphones, keyboards and more. The CORE Gaming Backpack is available in three versions, including the limited-edition CORE Gaming Backpack with White Trim. Like the Commuter it also features an external USB port and charging cable for connecting to a mobile power bank.
