From caveman to modern man, the thing that ties it all together is the man cave. Your loving family is never going to understand it. They are not going to get why you need it and why it is worth all the money, time, and energy you pour into it. No matter how many times you explain it, you will only be treated with blank or bewildered stares. Do yourself a favor and don’t bother. You get it. And as long as you have the money, you are the only one who needs to get it.

Grant it, there is such a thing as going overboard. Unless you are Dodger’s star Cody Bellinger, a man cave with a basketball court and an airplane hanger could be a little excessive. Of course, if you happen to have an airplane that needs to be parked in the same place as your basketball court, go nuts. When even the sky is no longer the limit, there is no limit on how you define a man cave. That said, most people are not going to need anything quite that elaborate to be perfectly happy. Here are a few things your more down to earth man cave could use:

A Gun Locker

Not every superstar man cave has an aircraft hanger. But many have an assortment of hunting rifles and other munitions on display. If you have the resources for that kind of collection, you have the resources to use the same kind of gun lockers preferred by law enforcement. Responsible people who love guns are the biggest advocates of gun safety. This is an area where no compromise can be allowed. There has to be a strong buffer of protection between the people who have access to your sanctum and dangerous items it might contain.

When it comes to gun safety, you have more than one option. Wall-mounted cabinet lockers are probably what most people think of first. They represent one of the most popular options as well. But there are also quick-access lockers that might better suit the needs of law enforcement during emergency situations. 

Not every gun is a pistol. Some are quite long and need different solutions. When you need to take a gun with you, there is no reason to compromise on safety. Be sure to have a proper weapon cabinet mounted in your vehicle’s trunk. Before hiring a contractor to install some bowling lanes, be sure to make your man cave a safe place for everyone who visits.

Classic Arcade Machine

If you are old enough to have enough money to build a proper man cave, then you are old enough to feel nostalgic about the arcades of your youth. Also, you are not alone. Some say we are in the middle of an arcade console resurgence. That is not surprising. Classic arcades represented gaming fun for all ages. Today’s version of gaming has a decidedly darker vibe.

Before gaming became a disembodied gun you aimed at digital people in a death match, it was more about hand-eye coordination and the development of other skills. The Pac-Man franchise had no guns to shoot or people to kill. But as a delivery mechanism of fun, it still holds up today and has few modern rivals. Acquiring the genuine article is not easy. But that is part of what makes collecting so interesting. If you long for the days when gaming wasn’t shrouded in so much moral ambiguity, be sure to stock your man cave with at least one classic. arcade console. There is an excellent chance you will not stop at just one.

Yoga Mat

Real men do yoga. At its core, yoga is about stretching and mental calm. One should be able to go to their cave and find physical and mental calm and renewal. Not everything in a man cave needs to make loud noises or cause physical distress. There should be at least one thing that centers you and brings you back down to earth. Yoga is a great addition to any man cave.

Make your man cave safer, more fun, and more relaxing. When you do you will find that you are not the only one in your home who will want to spend time in it.