Porn legend John Holmes would have been the poster by for the Movember movement if not for his tragic death in 1988 – Wikimedia

I have heard about the Movember movement for a couple of years now, but I never really understood what it was about. I figured it was just an excuse for guys to look like a 70s porn star and have their significant others be ok with it.

It was not until Leah from Leah’s Travels invited me to write my manly bucket list that I truly discovered that is was more than a post Halloween excuse to dress up like John Holmes. I discovered the movement is a mustache growing charity event held during November that raises funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate and testicular cancers.

I also found out that Man Made is supporting the Movember charity for the third year and is bringing in travel blogger Raymond Walsh from Man on the Lam to raise awareness. The Man on the Lam will be completing his own Manly Bucket List on the road with Man Made during the month of November.

I will not be growing a mustache in November or anytime soon. I will not personally be participating in the Movember movement; however, Thanks to Leah’s invitation, I can help raise awareness to the charity by writing my manly bucket list.

The Appalachian Trail as it passes through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park

1. Hike the Appalachian Trail

Running 26.2 miles was not enough. I need to hike the almost entire Eastern Seaboard on a mountainous ridge from Georgia to Maine carrying all I need for the trip on my back. I think 2,180 miles of trail is manly enough.

Camping with grizzly bears would indeed be manly – Wikimedia free use given by Servheen Chris, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

2. Camp overnight in Grizzly country

I have camped many nights in black bear country, but I have never taken the plunge in a western park like Yellowstone or Glacier. This is partly because I live closer to the east coast where only the cute black bear lives, and the other reason is I am scared shitless of being torn out of my tent by a 600 pound grizzly. If I could overcome this fear just for one night I would not need a mustache to make me look sexy.

Hopefully, they would not throw me a ball

3. Hit a baseball in a major league park

Since we are talking men’s health here, we need one item to be about balls. Sorry that mine entails hitting one really hard. I have always loved baseball, and I am an avid softball player. I would love to get a chance to hit batting practice in a major league ballpark. Perhaps I could hit one or two balls out of the infield.

Clearly too intoxicated to perform on the streets in this picture

4. Play guitar on a street corner and not get arrested and perhaps earn a coin or two

You see those guitar players on street corners belting out the Eagles, Rolling Stones, the Beatles while people pass by on their way to work, home, or play. They usually have their guitar cases open and hope that people fill them with money. I would love to be one of those street performers one day.

I almost took the plunge in Toronto during TBEX. A guitarist playing near the closest liquor store gave me the idea. Then I saw that he actually had a permit laminated in a lanyard that he was wearing around his neck. In a city where the liquor store hour laws are strict, I figured the laws for illegal street guitar playing would be even tougher. I might have been sentenced to actually sit through a TBEX seminar. How horrid, so I passed: someday soon though.

Bottom right under the large pine tree is the down tree that almost saw me live out my chain saw dream

5. Use a chain saw

I almost had the chance to do this last winter. While training for the American Birkebeiner cross-country ski marathon in northern Minnesota, a tree had fallen on our dock at our cabin. Our neighbor offered the use of his chain saw. I immediately had visions of tearing up that tree and making a nice bundle of firewood. It never happened as I was too busy skiing to put aside a half day to go Texas chainsaw massacre on the downed tree. This might have been a good thing.

How You Can Get Involved:

Calling All Bloggers!

Since the aim is raising awareness of Movember and men’s health issues, I know the power the blogging community has to do just that. I’m asking any blogger that is interested to get involved by doing the following:

Choose 5 activities you’d like to do and create your own Manly Bucket List – they can be something you commit to do during Movember, or simply something you’d like to do before you kick the bucket. (Ladies, this is open to you too! Mo Bros and Mo Sistahs are equally welcome!)
Nominate 5 other bloggers to create their own Manly Bucket List.
Include a link to Movember to encourage people to register or donate.
Tweet and Share your posts with the hashtags #Movember and #ManlyMoments

Here are the 5 bloggers I nominate to create their own Manly Bucket List:

Leslie and Jake from Downtown Traveler
Jason from Jasons Travels
Lance from Trips by Lance
Leigh from Hike Bike Travel
Gabriel and Jade from We Travel and Blog

Not a Blogger? Here’s something everyone can do:

Read along as I attempt to complete my Manly Bucket List at MadeMan.com/Movember
Follow along on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtags #Movember and #ManlyMoments
Go to Movember.com to find out more about men’s health issues, support a Mo Bro or Mo Sistah, or to register to become one yourself.
Check out the schedule for the Made Man Movember Mo’asis Bus Tour and come on by if you are in the neighborhood for free shaves and tons of great activities.
And, if you’ve got some spare cash lying around, DONATE!

In addition, every time you send a Tweet, a Vine, an Instagram, or post to Facebook with your own manly photo or text using the hashtag #ManlyMoments, the folks at Made Man will donate $1 to Movember.

You’ll also be entered into a draw for a Trip for Two to Las Vegas to experience your very own Mancation which includes the Top Gun Experience from Sky Combat Ace.

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