Ten Awesome Manly Activities

All right men…it’s manly activities time. What type of tasks, encounters or impossible endeavors make you want to give a loud Tim Taylor style grunt?

I’ve compiled a list of manly activities for some fun on this Spring Break Friday.  I may even do a few of these today. So read on and add to the list in the comments below. In no particular order here are…

My Top Ten Manly Activities

1. Running a chainsaw

It’s the ultimate in manly activities…destructive, hand held power equipment. Plus, you get to yell “Timber!” and feel like a pioneer clearing the land. My tool of choice is a 2-stroke, gas-powered Husqvarna 455 Rancher 20-Inch 55-1/2cc (with powerbox carrying case of course).

2. Operating heavy machinery

The two heaviest pieces of machinery I’ve ever operated were a DR Field and Brush Mower (AWESOME experience) and a Bobcat (really fun once you get the hang of it). Would love to some day get behind the wheel of a really big earth-mover with the name Caterpillar stamped on the side.

3. Having a burn pile

After cleanup from using the chainsaw and brush mower, no manly activity will get your pulse racing like 20 ft. of flames. I think what’s enticing here this is that you are mentally living on the edge of starting a forest fire if you are not careful. If that happened you would need a fire truck to come rescue you (which may not be manly, but we all know how boys love fire trucks!)

4. Working on the car

Does it not make me a man if I don’t work on my own car? I wish I were better at this cause it seems like a real cool thing to do. Get together with the guys on a Friday night, shoot the breeze and rebuild the carburetor.

 

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5. Weekend football

Nothing in America says weekend more from September through January than watching football in the easy chair. Sadly this activity (and our Fantasy Football league) only exists for about 5 months out of the year. Then we go through withdraw for 7 months.

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6. Farming

Check out this John Deere tractor with a planter attachment. Can plant 36 rows of corn at one time. Who wouldn’t love using that!

7. Hunting

Get up at 3:00 am for breakfast and equipment prep. Be in the tree stand by 4:30. Sit in the freezing cold for three hours seeing nothing. See Bambi cross our path at 7:30. Shoot Bambi at 7:31. Chase Bambi through the woods because your shot was a tad off and didn’t kill her on the spot. Find Bambi 20 minutes later and field dress her on the spot. Drag Bambi for a mile out of the woods and throw her in the back of your pickup truck. Yeah…that’s manly.

8. Camping/Backpacking

It’s the ultimate get-out-doors-and-be-one-with-nature experience. Just make sure your food sacks are in a place where the bears can’t reach them…like not in your tent! (I’m making a mental note to write a post about my encounter with some black bears on one of my backpacking trips. Tip: Do not chase the bears who have stolen your food sacks!

(Update: Click here for my encounter with a bear post.)

9. Tractor Pull

I’m not sure anything on the list deserves a heartier Tim Taylor grunt than this one. Just like a guy to take a tractor, add a gazillion horsepower and try to pull a weighted sled to a designated mark on a dirt track.  Best experienced on the small, local stage where you can sit up close to the track and feel the full force of the tractors as they roar by.

10. Playing cards

OK…so this may be a slightly more subdued activity not requiring any physical prowess. Unless of course a fight breaks out because you were caught trying to play that ace you had hidden up your sleeve.

Questions: Your turn to weigh in readers. What awesome manly activities do you want to add to the list? Note – My kids read my posts so keep it clean 🙂

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