You think you have a cool man cave? Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you have nothing on Dale Earnhardt Jr’s man cave! What do you have in yours’? A pool table? Maybe a really big flat screen powered by a big satellite dish? Maybe a personalized college football pub sign?  That’s all well and good and I’m sure you have a fine man cave by normal standards.

Dale Earnhardt Jr has built an entire miniature old west town called Whiskey River on his 200 acre property.   See the full story on it over at ESPN.   It includes an Old West saloon called Silverado Saloon, a US Marshall Jailhouse and even a hotel for those guests to his town that have over-indulged.  He uses it as a sort of getaway from the glare of the public eye.  It definitely shoes that Earnhardt Jr has a fun and whimsical side.  It also happens to be what I would consider the greatest man cave in the world.  I think that racing legend Junior Johnson tending bar at your man cave (as shown in the picture at right) seals that deal.   What do you think?

-Simon

If you’re looking to set up the ultimate man cave and are limited in space, you can still set up the ultimate sanctuary where you can get away from it all. All it takes is a little ingenuity on your part and no matter how small a space you have to work with, you can carve out your very own personal space where you can get away from life’s pressures and demands for a short time.

When space is limited, you’re going to have to stick with the bare essentials, a TV, couch or recliner, and wall decorations and art (like a personalized man cave pub sign, for example.) The pool table is out of the question, so forget that. The centerpiece in most man caves, and especially with limited space is the TV. It should be situated in the center of the room and you can also use it to stack other man cave essentials on, such as a stereo system. Another option when faced with space limitations is to go with a smaller TV set. A small screen TV will keep you up on the game just as well as a big screen version.

A stereo system is a must for your man cave and if you’re short on space, there are tons of systems out on the market today that are compact enough to fit almost anywhere. Speakers can be hung from the walls with many stereo systems to save even more room. CD stands for all of your favorite music are available in tall horizontal models that take up a bare minimum of space, yet still have room for hundreds of compact discs. Similar stands are also available for your other electronic media such as DVDs and old school VHS tapes.

Compromises must be made on furniture as well when setting up a limited space man cave. If you don’t have room for a couch, set up a recliner and if you have room set up two so your best friend and beer drinking buddy will have a place to sit when he visits. A small table can be used for poker tournaments or for a resting place for your favorite potent potable. A small dorm refrigerator is perfect for holding beer, after all, you’re not going to be cooking so there is really nothing else you need it for. Or you can use the old school beer cooler and get one with a hard top and you can use it as an extra seat when you have more than one friend over.

Setting up a man cave with limited space just takes a little imagination and smart down-sizing. Just think of it as cozy and not cramped and you’ll have the perfect place to hide away from the rest of the world for a while.

-Simon

Every man needs their very own sanctuary, even in their own homes. It serves his primal need to be alone and safe with his thoughts surrounded by the things he loves in life. When a man is married or has a lady move in, most often his favorite decorations and trinkets such as the mural of dogs playing poker are evicted from the main house by his new wife or girlfriend. This is why it is so important for a man to have his very own spot, a man cave, and here are some pointers for setting up the ultimate man cave on a tight budget.

Whether the setting for the man cave is in a basement, an outdoor garage, or in the room above the garage, the centerpiece is always the TV set. If you don’t have the dough to dish out for a 60 inch flat screen HD TV, there are still several cheap alternatives. A pawn shop is always good place to start looking for a man cave TV. Old style TVs that need either a digital converter or a cable feed to work can be had for next to nothing. Nicer HD TVs can also be found at a pawn shop and it’s important to remember that the price you see at a pawn shop for an item is a starting point. Owners expect you to haggle on the price so come prepared to bargain.

Once you have the centerpiece, it’s time to decide on furniture. Are you going to host your beer drinking buddies in your man cave? If the answer is yes, you’ll want to find a couch to accommodate them. If you are going to be spending most of your time alone, you are better off going with a recliner. Some of the best places to find bargain basement furniture is your local thrift shop or the Salvation Army store closest to you.

Another great source for man cave accessories are garage sales. Take a Saturday morning off, and plot a course of garage sales using your newspaper and Google maps. Try and hit at least five and you’re sure to find a treasure trove of things you’re sure to love. You can find old signs, TVs, neon beer wall sign advertisements, and much more at prices so low you can’t beat them anywhere else.

Once you have the TV and furniture situation resolved, it’s time to finish up your man cave. You’ll want to surround yourself with things you love, so get all of your sporting equipment such as baseball gloves, souvenir game balls and such from the attic and bring them to their new home in your man cave. If you have friends over you can play a quick pick-up game before the big football game starts on TV.

If you want to set up the ultimate man cave and do it without breaking the bank, use these tips and soon you’ll be in man heaven, surrounded by the things you love and cherish.

-Simon