Man Institute - Your source for everything manly

How to Climb Everest: A Guide for Real Men

Tim — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 04:12:08 +0000

On this planet there are a ton of amazing feats that a man can complete to pump up the old man-o-meter. Beating bears to death with a stick (See: Jim West), fighting a shark under water (See: Craig Clasen) and being credited with over 700 kills in a war (See: Simo Häyhä) are all excellent ways to show that you are a real man. A guy who lesser men tremble before.

There is another challenge that will push a man to his absolute limit. A challenge so manly that it makes fighting a bear look like petting a kitten. It makes fighting off a shark look like tapping on aquarium glass in a pet store. Obviously this manly act of awesomeness is climbing Mt. Everest.

When I take a quick look at the numbers, on average bears in the US kill .5 people per year. Sharks manage to get one. Everest manages to grab hold of 4-5 per year. Considering there are only 200-300 summits at Everest per year, these are pretty decent numbers.

So how do you climb this monster? Well it’s simple: man up, get yourself some cash and gear and get to Nepal.

To start, you’re going to need to find an expedition heading to the top. There’s a good site where you can see a bunch of companies that head up there. You can also check out pics and stories from past expeditions. Check them out here:
http://www.alanarnette.com/news/

Assuming you have the money for the expedition ($65,000USD approx) you’re good to go. If not, you may have to do some fundraising. Try to get sponsors or climb for a cause (Maybe Movember….).

When climbing Everest, there is a ton of paperwork involved. Permits and waivers and booking sherpas to name a few. Book well in advance. There is lots to figure out before you even leave for Nepal.

Ok, so you’ve made it this far and you’re ready to leave. Make sure you pack everything you’ll need. You’re a rather long way from home once you get there. It’s probably a good idea to cold weather test all your gear as well.

So now you’re there and ready to begin. You’ll first need to get yourself to base camp. Base camp may sound nice, but to get there is a trek up to 17,600 feet. Although being there is probably pretty sweet.

Now you start your real climb. To get to the top of Everest takes a while. You first need to wait for windows to climb in. Everest weather is a little unpredictable and getting caught in a windstorm is something you should try to avoid.

Once you leave Base Camp, you have to make it to Camp 1, located at 19,500 feet. Camp 2 is at 21,300 feet, Camp 3 at 23,500 feet and Camp 4 is at 26,300 feet. You’ve made it most of the way, but now you have to make a run for the summit.

Everest’s summit is at 29,028 feet and is the highest point on Earth. To be standing here is to truly be on top of the world, something that only a handful of the toughest human beings that ever lived have accomplished.

Sources:
http://blog.mazurw.com/
http://www.everesthistory.com/everestsummits/summitsbyyear.htm
http://www.alanarnette.com/news/
http://www.everestnews2004.com/
http://snailwalkers.com/
http://3dimensional.files.wordpress.com/
http://himalman.files.wordpress.com/
http://www.newagedentists.com/

Straight Down The Middle

Tim — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:27:30 +0000

A while back we were contacted by a manly man by the name of Josh Karp. Josh had recently written a book entitled Straight Down The Middle and offered the Man Institute a copy to check out. I’d like to say that it took persuasive techniques and hours of bargaining to get us to agree to read it, but really he simply mentioned that the book is about improving your golf swing and we were instantly drooling over the idea.

The book arrived and I cracked it open that night in an attempt to tune out the episode of Dancing With the Stars that my wife was watching. As it turns out this worked quite well. I was captivated right from the introduction of the book as Josh spoke a bit about himself and told me what he was all about.

Going into the first chapter I was getting right into it. The topic became something I am deeply interested in: effortlessness. As it turns out Josh is a big fan of it too. Without giving too much of the book away, Josh found online someone who was combining golf with an ancient technique which basically allows the body to relax and let you become more aware of yourself. As a result, you should achieve the “effortless swing.”

The rest of the book has a similar tone. Josh travels far and wide learning different techniques designed to make himself a better golfer, and as a result: a better person. Josh meets many different people in this book, each of which have something great to offer his golf game (and sometimes have hilarious accents which are captured in the book perfectly).

This book was very well written. It was both funny and informative with a few great quotes and a lot of passion. Golf is one of the oldest manly activities on the face of the Earth. Combine that with another manly ancient art: martial arts, and you get a book that is page after page of pure testosterone.

I’d highly recommend grabbing a copy of this book. Fortunately for you, it’s on Amazon so you won’t even need to get up. How’s that for effortlessness? Just wipe the Cheetos powdered cheddar off your hands and head over to:

Straight Down The Middle: Shivas Irons, Bagger Vance and How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Golf Swing
by: Josh Karp

Or just head over to amazon and make the purchase:
http://www.amazon.com/Straight-Down-Middle-Learned-Worrying/dp/081186359X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264452470&sr=1-2

How to Start Shaving Like a Man – Guest Post

Tim — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 23:00:26 +0000

In our previous article, Shave Like A Real Man, we discussed several different ways a man can shave. Aside from using instruments of mass destruction to shave, the manliest way of getting it done has always been the straight razor. Not only is it more dangerous, but it gets the job done: something that can’t always be said for the Mach 3 hiding in a drawer in my bathroom.

The guys over at the Shaving Shack found the Man Institute and in an effort to help men grasp the manly art of using a cut-throat razor, have put together a short, to the point guide to help you pick out your first real razor.

Many men who have tried out traditional wet shaving methods would never go back to the modern variety of razors ever again. The main reason for the resurgence in popularity of these products is that people can only be fooled for so long; the razors advertised on TV just cannot cut it, excuse the pun.

But what can these razors offer that modern razors can’t? Well, you certainly would expect, with the advancements in technology that men would have moved on from the old ways by now. But the secret to the continued success of traditional safety and cut throat razors is because they were, and still are, damn fine shaving products.

The performance offered by these types of razors is second to none. Any man who has had the pleasure of experiencing a true barber shop shave will know just what the difference is. The modern electric shavers just cannot compare to the satisfaction following this quality shave. The process is still the same today; apply the rich lather with a badger brush and take your time perfecting this manly activity in a truly masculine way.

It is always advisable to use top quality razors with sharp blades, rather than the cheap, disposable razors you frequently see nowadays. Choose a razor blade that will suit your technique. When starting out with safety and cut throat razors, it may take longer before you have perfected the shave, and will also require a greater degree of caution and care, but you will the find the end results cannot be matched by anything else on the market.

As each person’s face and hair growth is different, choosing the right razor to get the best results isn’t always an easy task. It is a current trend that many men are turning back towards the use of a traditional straight razor due to the many benefits of a closer shave. For those who are new to this way of shaving, the straight razor you decide on is very important.

A straight razor may essentially be a simple tool for shaving, comprising of just a blade that can fold into its protective handle. However, you may not know what you are looking out for initially in a straight razor, so here are a few pointers for you to consider.

The first purchase is crucial to how you will feel about wet shaving, so make sure you select a quality razor from the outset. Always purchase a new, clean blade which has a smooth edge.

The balance of the razor against the handle is important when shaving, so be sure to buy one which is balanced equally.

Check out the many straight razor options available online to see what the benefits are of each model. You can also read comments of fellow wet shavers to see what they think about any particular razor.

Although these types of razors are built to last, you will still need to perform regular maintenance on them to keep them working at their optimum level. Therefore, making sure you buy a razor which is sharp is essential to the shaving experience.

If you don’t have as much time to keep the blade as sharp as it needs to be, you can always opt for disposable straight razors which are available nowadays. These are perfect for those looking to get a close shave, but who don’t have as much time spare to prepare the razor.

The temper of a straight razor comes in soft, medium and hard versions which require a varying degree of maintenance. You need to weigh up the pros and cons of each to determine which one would work best for you. As well as this, you will also need to choose between a concave and wedge grind with the blade.

The final point is that sometimes it is just through trial and error that you find the right razor for you. Always bear in mind that each make of razor is different and so the experience will never be the same.

Check out the Shaving Shack website and take a look at their products. They also have some pretty decent Shaving Tips for when you buy your first straight razor.

Bacon Hot Sauce

Tim — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:45:29 +0000

Everybody knows that all men love bacon and hot sauce. They are the perfect additives for absolutely any meal. The two go great on eggs or hashbrowns, burgers, hot dogs, steak, potatoes and just about any other food you can think of. Finally a group of friends has decided to put the two together. Dump out your Tobasco and Frank’s Red Hot, you’ll need to make room in the fridge for Bacon Hot Sauce – the first bacon flavoured hot sauce.

As the story goes, these average guys were sitting around, probably in a man cave, and just thought the idea up:

“We are a group of three friends who were hanging out on a Sunday morning craving eggs and potatoes with bacon and hot sauce. One person stated that bacon makes everything better, while another contended that hot sauce makes everything better. And the third thought, “you’re both right, why not bacon-flavored hot sauce?”

The three guys turned their idea into what is probably the best hot sauce on the market.

Go check it out at http://www.baconhotsauce.com/

The Bacon Explosion: The Cure for the Healthy Heart

Tim — Sat, 15 May 2010 16:35:46 +0000

The other day I was thinking about the Cheesy Double Beef Burrito-Stuffed Bacon-Wrapped Sausage Log that we had written about in February and started thinking that if someone was awesome enough to think up that meal, their must be other disgustingly awesome stuffed meals out there. It’s common knowledge that food reaches its maximum flavour potential when it is stuffed with another food, so why don’t we find more of these recipes?

My google search was: “manly stuffed sausage log bacon” and the first result was one of the manliest food creations to ever grace a smoker. BBQAddicts.com’s Bacon Explosion. A log of sausage stuffed with bacon and then wrapped with bacon. I don’t think it gets much better than this. Here’s how to make it:

You will need:
2lbs thick cut bacon
2lbs Italian sausage
Your favourite barbecue sauce
Your favourite barbecue rub

The first step to creating this masterpiece is the construction of the Bacon Weave. Take 5 slices of bacon and weave it through another 5 to make it. If your slices of bacon aren’t all that big, just use more. If someone can invent a bacon loom, it would be much appreciated.

The next step is to simply season your weave. This can be your favourite rub that you use for all your pork or you can simply throw something together. A pretty basic pork rub is:

1/3 cup paprika

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons black pepper

2 tablespoons salt

2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 teaspoons cayenne

1 teaspoon white pepper

Now place your Italian sausage onto your bacon weave. Stretch it out so it completely covers the weave and is the same thickness throughout.

Next, take the remaining bacon that wasn’t used for the weave and fry it up the way you like. This is going to go on the inside of the log. Although, not in the official recipe, I’d advise throwing whatever you’d like in here. I’ll be making this very soon and I have every intention of adding a bit of cheese inside.

You’re almost finished inside, simply drizzle your barbecue sauce over the inside ingredients and you’re ready! Now it’s time to form the log. Take the front edge of the sausage and begin rolling it toward you, separating it from the bacon weave. Once it’s rolled up, pinch the ends to seal it in.

Finally wrap the bacon weave around the log. Just make sure that the seam is facing down to keep it on tight.

Add a little seasoning and you’re smoker-bound. Cook this thing at 225 degrees in hickory smoke until your inner temperature reaches 165 degrees. It’s about an hour for every inch of thickness.

Once it’s done, all you have to do is remove it and if you want, give it a light coating of your barbecue sauce.

The recipe and pics are from http://www.bbqaddicts.com. Check their site for all kinds of sauces, rubs, grills, smokers and everything else barbecue related.

The Man Cave: Put Your Feet Up and Be Your Disgusting Self

Mike — Thu, 13 May 2010 16:20:17 +0000

From the day a young male’s testicles drop, he yearns for something very specific. Although this yearning may be taking place subconsciously at the moment, eventually it will explode from him like last nights Taco Bell. Now, you’re probably wondering what the subject of this yearning happens to be….if you’re single (and didn’t read the article title). If you’re married however, the moment you realized you absolutely needed the subject of this post was the exact moment that white gold wedding band slipped over your sausage finger. The Man Cave, or Penis Pavilion if you prefer.

The Man Cave is the one spot in any house (or on the property) that women are forbidden from entering. It’s kind of like the proverbial bomb shelter of the house, that also only happens to fit one person, one person who has man bits. I compare it to a bomb shelter as The Man Cave is never created until the first bomb drops and the man of the house is left scrambling wondering “What the hell am I doing? Where do I go? How did I end up here?” The first bomb of course is marriage. With any luck the impact of any subsequent bombs is lessened or even neutralized by that wonderful, dark, damp, smelly crawlspace you’ve created for yourself under the living room staircase, or in the tiny room that was supposed to be the family “office”.

The best part of The Man Cave, is that not only are women not allowed in the place, it’s that women have absolutely no desire to enter the premises. It’s security through innovative design. The innovative design I’m referring to involves the posters of your favourite mid 90’s porn stars strewn on the walls and disgusting amount of pizza boxes and booze bottles laid out ingeniously all over the floor. Not to mention your morbidly obese friend who’s going through a tough divorce and living on your sofa doing nothing but munching on Cheetos and playing COD in his stained tighty whities and matching thermal underwear top. To the average woman, this looks like utter and complete chaos. A place they never wish to see or smell again. Through this manly creativity an invisible barrier has developed, essentially allowing the man of the house to express himself in any disgusting way he wishes without worrying about consequences. Below I’ve got pictures and videos of men who have taken their man cave masterpieces to a new level and in doing so, have created a Valhalla that all other men will surely strive toward.

Golf Cave- Note the astro turf carpet

Fight Cave

Baseball Cave

Unfinished Monster Super Awesome Cave

Home Theatre Cave

You know we’re all dreaming of this

Log Cabin Man Cave

Guest Post: When Does a Boy Become A Man?

Tim — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:22:00 +0000

There are lot of theories floating around about what it actually means for a boy to become a man. I thought that the man institute could use a quick rundown. Maybe we can finally get to the bottom of this great mystery.

1. When you turn 18.
At least this is what the law says. When you turn 18 you are legally an adult and can be tried in court as one. So I guess that completely technically speaking, this is the right moment. This is the moment when a boy becomes vulnerable to the vicissitudes of the court systems. This is when your actions have the potential to trigger dire consequences. Perhaps that’s just what it means to be a man.

2. When you get “laid” for the first time.
Proponents of this point of view seem to think that life is about sex, as it leads to procreation (and more life). And if this is the case, your first lay is a good marker. But then again, many boys have sex for the first time as young as 15, long before they are able to nurture young, let alone take care of themselves, introducing some complication into this theory. Does sex really make you grow up? Maybe not, take advantage of your youth now because eventually you’ll have to buy Viagra.

3. When you move out of your parents’ house.
In my opinion, this is one of the best places to draw the line. Once you start supporting yourself financially, your manhood had better kick in. Otherwise you’ll have your creditors taking on the role of parental discipline, and the last thing you want is an angry creditor doling out spankings on your rear end!

4. When you learn to fix your own toilet.
Our good friend Harvey Pekar would make this suggestion, and truly he has, as brilliantly demonstrated in an old issue of American Splendor. There is just something so undeniably manly about the plunging, sweating, and groaning required to de-clog a toilet. So much so, that never having done it, you hardly have the right to claim the title of “man.”

5. When you buy your first dutch oven.
This may seem a little out of place on this list, but think about it for a minute or two and it makes sense. No man buys a dutch oven unless he is completely committed to cooking his food in it over and over and over again for several years. Your average dutch oven costs as much as $300, meaning a man can only buy one if he can see the value that it will bring to him for the next several years. Unless this hypothetical man can imagine himself in five years, he will not be able to justify this investment in cookingware. As an acknowledgement of the importance of the future on his happiness in the present, nothing can push a boy closer to manhood than the purchase of a dutch oven. Period! Just look at that manly hunk of cast iron!

Roger Goodwyn is a freelance writer and blogger with hundreds of articles published online and in print, covering everything from sexual health to parenting to beauty, fashion, entertainment and more. Roger is an established writer for eDrugstore.MD, a safe online drugstore prescribing medications such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra online. If you’re unsure which ED medication is right for you, you could always take the ED Pill Quiz

Are You Headed To A Sausage Party? Use This Sweet Facebook App to Find Out!

Tim — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 04:53:51 +0000

You work hard all week. Friday night comes around and you head to the colde beer and wine straight from work. You pick up your brew for the night and head home to get changed and ready to go. You’re on your way now, park the car and head in, only to find that for every 1 lady inside, there’s about 5 dudes. This sound familiar? If so, we have the tool for you.

With this sweet little app, you can easily avoid dangerous sausage parties and surround yourself with ladies. Maybe this doesn’t guarantee you’ll score, but at least your odds will improve.

It couldn’t be more simple to use. Just head over to http://sausageparty.info/. Hit the button and allow it to connect to your Facebook. You can now either load all your events or enter events manually. What you get back is based on a 5 Sausage Link Scale, 5 being a total sausage fest and none being ladies galore.

Source: http://mashable.com/2010/03/31/sausage-fest/

The Jam New York Allows Average Guys to Rock Out In Their Spare Time

Tim — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:59:59 +0000

There aren’t many places around where your average working man gets to dust off the ol’ guitar and take to the stage to perform in front of a screaming crowd, but at The Jam, this is exactly what happens. Guys from all over drag themselves and gear out of their dark secluded man cave and have the opportunity to perform in front of screaming fans. These guys are your everyday joes. Your butt-crack flaunting plumbers, your nose in the air Junior VP’s and you grease covered fast food employees can all get together for the love of the music and rock out. There are no whiney millionaires here who have lost all passion. The people performing at The Jam are actually using their hard earned money to buy themselves a little time in the spotlight and to show off their skills, not lip-sync and acquire overrated reviews based on their popularity.

The Jam has a ton of sweet services to offer, including:

Use of quality equipment
Match-making with similar musical talent and taste
Band showcases twice per month

Really, this place just lets you crank it up to 11, without any real hassle of having to organize your own events and jam sessions. You don’t even need to bring your own gear, you can just show up.

I had the chance to talk to a member at The Jam. His name is Mike and he is just a guy who caught a job transfer from a job in Toronto and ended up in New York. Through The Jam, he managed to hook up with some other guys and now he currently is playing in several bands which do covers of The Beatles to Rush to Rage Against the Machine. I asked him to describe what it was like being at The Jam:

It’s kind of like a club where you meet people who like to rock and you network and put together projects and get your rock star on and perform in Greenwich Village in NYC.

There are several different jam session one can attend throughout the week:

MONDAY NEWBIE JAM 6 pm to 8:30 pm; $10 for Jam members, $15 for non‐members. The wonderful Patty Murray facilitates a jam session specifically geared toward the newer jammer. If you don’t have much experience playing with others (or just like playing in a guided, more structured situation), the Newbie Jam is your ticket. Make a little music in a supportive environment and pick up useful wisdom from a seasoned, gigging pro.
FRIDAY “BY THE BOOK” JAM 6 pm to 10 pm; $15 for Jam members, $25 for non‐members. The Legendary Bobby Day leads a Jam session in which everyone is (literally) on the same page. Here are the rules: You can only pick tunes from the (included) songbook, you can’t change the key, and everyone takes turns picking songs. A second room is available for those opposed to structure.
SATURDAY ROCK JAM 4 pm to 8 pm; $15 for Jam members, $25 for non‐members. Our Saturday jam with the multi‐talented Kenny Ashby is a groovy affair that starts early, so you can get out in time to experience other forms of nightlife.
LAZY SUNDAY JAM 4 pm to 8 pm; $15 for Jam members, $25 for non‐members. The Sunday jam with Ed Howe, the awesome axe‐man in No Mersey, among others, is a fun, anything‐goes session that will melt away your cares‐‐and allow you to get you home in time for Sunday dinner.

Tomorrow night (April 16) are the annual Jammy Awards. The Jam puts on this kick ass event to honour their best of the best and they spare no expense in putting it on. The Jammy’s are hosted at the Rebel in New York. It’s basically a three story dance floor with a monster stage for performers. The Jammy nominees get to perform and are judged based on how hard they can rock. If you’re reading this and happen to live in New York, you now have plans for tomorrow night.

Guys, this place is bloody cool and I hope to see more locations pop up over North America. If you are close enough to one of these places, take advantage.

For more information on The Jam, check out:
http://www.thejamnyc.com/
http://www.thejamnyc.com/Default.aspx?pageId=110015 (Jammy Awards)

The Rebel NYC:
http://www.rebelnyc.com/

Ironing – Maybe It’s Manly After All…

Tim — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 23:34:16 +0000

Everyone enjoys a freshly pressed shirt. It looks good and it feels good, but is ironing manly? Up to this point I would have told you no. I, much like the rest of you, thought ironing was a skill best left to grandmas and dry cleaners. Well, gentlemen, turns out we were wrong.

Let me introduce you to Extreme Ironing. Yes, you read it correctly. A sport which takes something that was previously thought to be a chore for house-wives and bachelors and turns it into something both manly and hilarious.

“The sport that is ‘extreme ironing’ is an outdoor activity that combines the danger and excitement of an ‘extreme’ sport with the satisfaction of a well pressed shirt. It involves taking an iron and board (if possible) to remote locations and ironing a few items of laundry. This can involve ironing on a mountainside, preferably on a difficult climb, or taking an iron skiing, snowboarding or canoeing.” – Extreme Ironing Bureau

Extreme Ironing was stumbled upon in the city of Leicester, UK in 1997. A guy named Phil “Steam” Shaw was returning from work to a giant pile of laundry. Laundry being the last thing he wanted to do after a long, hard day, he decided to go out climbing. This is when it ocurred to Phil that he could do both. Extreme Ironing was born.

Since then, Extreme Ironing has caught on and become a “semi-official” sport with registered members and a ruling body, the Extreme Ironing Bureau (EIB). There are also different sections which are based in Germany, New Zealand, South Africa and Colorado, US. A quick search of the EIB site brings back 3815 registered users.

To get started Extreme Ironing, all you need is an iron, a board and some wrinkly laundry. The EIB does recommend you start small, though. Try some easier terrain before you give skydiving or bungee jumping a shot.

Extreme Ironing Bureau
http://www.extremeironing.com/