You've seen it in "City Slickers" and even "The Simpsons": a group of men going on vacation together and enjoying the great outdoors without a care in the world.

Before it had a name, the all-male outing was simply referred to as having a "guy's night out," where men were often limited to hanging out at the local bar or taking a fishing trip. That is no longer the case. With more variety in activities and places to visit, the outing has received an updated name: the "mancation."

Erik Jones, 21, a pharmaceutical sales representative for Eli Lilly and Company, knows all about the joys of taking a mancation.

"Me and my friends went to Lake George in the Adirondack region," says Jones. "We went fishing the whole weekend and had a fishing competition to see who could catch the biggest fish."

The mancation may seem to project images of drunken men partying, but in this day and age, men have a greater variety of destinations and activities to choose from.

Ellen Wandling, a travel agent, has been responsible for booking groups of men on fishing, hunting and golf trips to locations in the Midwest such as Montana, North and South Dakota and also Alaska, among other places.

"Men share a common interest, and it's an opportunity for men to bond with other guys," she said.

Jones agrees.

"There's no TV, and you're out in the middle of nowhere," says Jones. "It's peaceful and it's good to hang out with other friends and be forced to have real conversations."

Sandi Sharpe, the owner of Travelcats Travel in Endicott, also has booked vacations for men around the country. Each age group tends to focus on specific activities.

"The younger crowds, like men in their 20s and 30s, tend to book trips to Vegas to celebrate a bachelor's-type party and gamble," says Sharpe. "Men in their 40s usually do hedonism-type things," while fly-fishing is more popular among those who are in their 50s and 60s.

Matt Jones, 31, who works in real estate in Los Angeles, had Sharpe's help in planning a trip to Miami.

"This particular trip was a one-time thing," says Matt Jones (who is not related to Erik Jones). "But my friends and I try and get together at least one time a year for a trip somewhere. It's nice to take two or three days and not worry about things and have fun."

As to the reasoning why men go on mancations, Matt Jones offers some insight.

"It's all about hanging with your friends and letting your hair down," says Matt Jones. "A lot of times you cannot do the same things with your wife or girlfriend as you can do with your guy friends. It's just a different atmosphere and a different language that you speak and you just do not have to be as proper."

Men also have asked to be booked for other activities such as a hiking adventure, dude ranch and mountain climbing, says Sharpe.

Of course, that doesn't mean that traditional forms of male-bonding activities are totally out of the picture. Men still ask for "good restaurants, or they concentrate on a sport they're going for," says Wandling.

Sharpe, on the other hand, has her own opinions.

"Sure, there's male bonding going on," says Sharpe. "They can get away from the women, and they don't have to be nagged and worry about bathing."

And isn't that what it really means to be a part of nature? Enjoy the bonding, men, even if you prefer not to bathe. More power to you.