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Where's the Next Shelter?
Where's the Next Shelter? is the true story of three travelers on the Appalachian Trail, told from the perspective of Gary Sizer, a seasoned backpacker and former Marine who quickly finds himself humbled by the endeavor.
Sprawling through the woods and towns of the Appalachian mountains, the trail carries the trio through real and fanciful ups and downs ranging from hilarious to perilous. Much more than an orderly account of mountain tops and meals, it is an adventure about friends figuring things out as they go. It's about screw-ups and solutions, awe and inspiration.
If you long for the horizon, or to sleep under the stars, then come along for the hike of a lifetime. All you have to do is take the first step.
Sprawling through the woods and towns of the Appalachian mountains, the trail carries the trio through real and fanciful ups and downs ranging from hilarious to perilous. Much more than an orderly account of mountain tops and meals, it is an adventure about friends figuring things out as they go. It's about screw-ups and solutions, awe and inspiration.
If you long for the horizon, or to sleep under the stars, then come along for the hike of a lifetime. All you have to do is take the first step.
332 pages, Hardcover
First published November 8, 2015
429 people are currently reading
1627 people want to read
About the author
Gary Sizer
3 books43 followersGary Sizer was born in New Castle, PA. Years of military service and software consulting fed his passion for travel, which he chronicles in his latest book, Home is Forward, out now. After walking the Appalachian Trail in 2014, his before and after pictures went viral, and since then millions of people have seen him in his underpants. Now Gary hikes and lives in the hills near Asheville, NC, where he occasionally records stories for NPR's The Moth.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
December 26, 2016
I'm an AT Memoir junkie, although I think it's been a couple of years since I have read one. Skip Bill Bryson and get into the real memoirs, like this one. Gary Sizer quits his job to hike the AT with the support of this wife. His social experiences and challenges of the trail are unique, amusing and sometimes heartbreaking. You find yourself on the trail with him, and cheering for his success every step of the way. Loved his cast of hiker buddies as well. The audio book was read by the author, which made it even more personal, I think. Add this one to your "Want to Read" list.
November 24, 2015
This is an outstanding book. I felt like I was on this epic adventure myself, with the author walking right behind me the whole way. Not only does he offer lush descriptions of the breathtaking scenery and natural beauty of the mountains and forest, but he shows his keen insight into the people he visited who live along the trail, inhabitants of the various regions traversed by the 2,180-mile hike. He does such an exquisite job of describing and quoting his fellow hikers -- quirky characters from all over the world -- that I feel like I personally got to know each one.
The sheer enormity of climbing up and down near-vertical trails, fighting a variety of bugs that are microscopic, six-legged and eight-legged, scrambling over bus-sized rocks and dealing with the hardships of wilderness camping come to life in this awesome adventure. It's an honest, frank, gritty and often hilarious account, and it's so compelling, it's tempting me to drop everything and attempt a through hike of the Appalachian Trail myself.
I just hope I have the stamina and determination Gary Sizer has. As he makes clear, this is no walk in the park, and it's just as much a mental battle as it is a physical challenge. But this book is not a complain-fest of hardships and woe. No, it's a joyful and uplifting account of the voyage of a lifetime.
It's such a pleasurable read, I wanted it to go on and on. This is quite a treat -- highly recommended!
The sheer enormity of climbing up and down near-vertical trails, fighting a variety of bugs that are microscopic, six-legged and eight-legged, scrambling over bus-sized rocks and dealing with the hardships of wilderness camping come to life in this awesome adventure. It's an honest, frank, gritty and often hilarious account, and it's so compelling, it's tempting me to drop everything and attempt a through hike of the Appalachian Trail myself.
I just hope I have the stamina and determination Gary Sizer has. As he makes clear, this is no walk in the park, and it's just as much a mental battle as it is a physical challenge. But this book is not a complain-fest of hardships and woe. No, it's a joyful and uplifting account of the voyage of a lifetime.
It's such a pleasurable read, I wanted it to go on and on. This is quite a treat -- highly recommended!
December 5, 2015
I'm amazed at how Gary Sizer puts the reader inside his own head. You fall in love with his friends, you stub YOUR toe, you laugh, you cry, you succeed. After reading this book, I feel as though Gary is my best friend and I'm on to the next journey along with him. If you love nature, life, and adventure you'll love this story. If the thought of quitting your job and hitting the trail does not enter your mind, you're not paying attention. I highly recommend this book.
September 21, 2022
I am giving this five stars because it is the most realistic of all the trail books I have read.
August 26, 2020
Someone recommended this book to me and I’m glad they did or I would never have heard of it. I still don’t really have a desire to hike the whole Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, but it was fun reading about it. The author does a good job of describing the other hikers he encounters and now I really want to meet some of them!
October 9, 2017
I've read several books about hiking the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail, but this is by far the best. Gary Sizer, or "Green Giant" as he is known on the AT, tells the story of his thru-hike from Atlanta to Katahdin Mountain in Maine in this at times laugh-out-loud funny, other times suspenseful and poignant memoir. Reading it takes you into a world where the rising sun and birdsong wake you in the morning and sunset is the hiker's bedtime. Gary's descriptions are so vivid it is easy to imagine that you are hiking along with him. Every time I dipped into Where's the Next Shelter?, it felt like a mini-vacation from the world of cars and electronics and noise. And the people he meets along the way are absolutely fascinating. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy (or download it to your ereader). You deserve a vacation but if you can't get away, Gary will take you for a mini-vacation - in your mind.
January 30, 2018
I keep saying I do not want to do a Thru-Hike of the Appalachian Trail and then I read this book! What a truly epic adventure!!! The author, Gary Sizer, leaves nothing out as far as the obstacles he optimistically, even joyfully faced....as one of his trail mates mantra proclaimed in the toughest of times "I am grateful for today, I am grateful for today, I am.........". He does a great job detailing the beauty he sees on the hike, the quirky characters from all over the world that he hikes with, and the hardships he faced along the way. If you are a dreamer, an adventurer, and a lover of nature and the outdoors, then I highly recommend this book to you!
January 21, 2019
By far the best book I've read about the Appalachain Trail. Green Giant had just the right amount of sarcasm and his viewpoint was hilarious. I felt like I was walking right alongside him and his cast of characters. I admit when I saw the author picture he did look familiar and when I reached the end of the book I knew why :D I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a real look at what it's like to thru-hike. I wish I could've hiked with him!
October 28, 2017
I had put off listening to this audio book because of the goofy accent for one of the characters in the sample. It was a bad choice by Amazon to use that sample. This is a fantastic AT Thru-Hike story. I enjoyed it more than I expected and I was sad when it ended. Gary is a good person, who I can relate with in some ways and respect for our differences in others. His story telling abilities are excellent. I caught myself excited to drive to work to hear more of the story each day. I have listened to countless hiking stories about the AT and other long distance trails and this one is one of the best. I rarely ever purchase an audio book by the same author back to back but as soon as I finished this, I bought Gary's latest, Home Is Forward: Hiking and Travel Adventures from Around the World by Gary Sizer. If it's half as good as Where's the Next Shelter?, it will be great.
January 3, 2022
One of the best Thru-hiking of the AT accounts I’ve ever read. Gary does a wonderful job of describing the places, events, and people that make the AT so special while cutting out the unnecessary fat of backstory. I honestly could not put the book down except for the few hikes I went on while reading and subsequently inspired by this book.
July 8, 2017
You really get the feeling you are out on the trail when reading this book
March 29, 2020
Very enjoyable.
The audible version was like “watching” a movie... made you feel as if you were actually there with all of them
The audible version was like “watching” a movie... made you feel as if you were actually there with all of them
August 4, 2020
Great story, great characters (though they are real people). The best book I've read about hiking the Appalachian Trail. Bravo, Green Giant.
April 14, 2021
An excellent book with a lot of detail on Gary's experience hiking the AT. Enjoyed his humour and descriptions of people he met and hiked with.
January 7, 2023
Never Judge a Book by Its Cover
I started this book three times and after reading the first two chapters, decided it was like every other book I have read about the AT. After pushing through the last time, I became glued to the story of three friends meeting on the trail and joining them on their adventure of a lifetime. Gary does what most people only wish they could do, quit their job and live a dream. The characters and the stories are spellbinding. I haven't been this emotionally attached to a book in a very long time.
I started this book three times and after reading the first two chapters, decided it was like every other book I have read about the AT. After pushing through the last time, I became glued to the story of three friends meeting on the trail and joining them on their adventure of a lifetime. Gary does what most people only wish they could do, quit their job and live a dream. The characters and the stories are spellbinding. I haven't been this emotionally attached to a book in a very long time.
June 26, 2020
This is my second AT thru hike book. It’s more than a daily trail journal, though I did find myself consulting maps regularly to see where the author, Gary Sizer was in his trek. Plenty of colorful characters (beyond their quirky trail-names) and adventure that’s only possible when you live outside for half a year. Even if you’ll never leave the comfy confines of a camper in an overcrowded, loud campground, this story will draw you in and ask yourself, “Could I do it?”
March 15, 2022
Probably my favorite book so far about the AT. I've read many books about thru hiking, as I am fascinated by it, and many books are just hard to read because they're so dull! Mr. Sizer's book gave me a sense of the trail, but also a sense of his emotions on the trail.
June 9, 2020
Reading this during a lockdown was surreal. I found myself cheering on. Great read. Great people.
September 5, 2017
I was lucky enough to be surfing Reddit on the day Gary Sizer was holding an AMA and promoting his second book, Home is Forward. Consequently, I snagged Where is the Next Shelter for the low, low price of nothing. Thanks for that, Gary.
This book made me want to hike the AT, and considering I don't do cold, hate going without a shower and pretty much despise bugs, that's about the highest praise I can give it. It actually made me want to hit the trail and have someone give me a name. A fun, funny and sometimes nerve-wracking tale of the trail, definitely worth the read. Don't expect Wild (which was so damn boring I couldn't even finish it) but do expect fun.
This book made me want to hike the AT, and considering I don't do cold, hate going without a shower and pretty much despise bugs, that's about the highest praise I can give it. It actually made me want to hit the trail and have someone give me a name. A fun, funny and sometimes nerve-wracking tale of the trail, definitely worth the read. Don't expect Wild (which was so damn boring I couldn't even finish it) but do expect fun.
November 5, 2021
incredibly boring. boring reddit dialogue mixed with the boring minutiae of walking a (not boring) 2,200 mile trail. bill bryson represented the AT poorly BUT! he knows how to write an entertaining travelogue!
everybody had the same voice as the author so its all just like vague memories of encounters he had filtered thru this guys brain. LOL also when your pages have this synthetic plastic feel to them, and you can really only find new copies of this book, you gotta forcibly stretch this shit out on the end of a table the hold the book open comfortably with one hand. i know im nitpicking but its the only thing i can remember when i was reading it.
everybody had the same voice as the author so its all just like vague memories of encounters he had filtered thru this guys brain. LOL also when your pages have this synthetic plastic feel to them, and you can really only find new copies of this book, you gotta forcibly stretch this shit out on the end of a table the hold the book open comfortably with one hand. i know im nitpicking but its the only thing i can remember when i was reading it.
December 10, 2015
If you don't laugh reading this book, you need to drink more! Gary has a very unique sense of humor! I wasn't long into this book before I felt like I was part of his trail family! I felt his pain in the Shenandoah's, his joy when he reunited with friends on the trail. And more than anything else, it has fueled my own desire to follow the white blazes! I start next March. Thanks Gary! Maybe I'll run into you on some forlorn piece of trail someday!
Ronnie Hull - Shreveport, La
Ronnie Hull - Shreveport, La
July 3, 2017
No preaching. No grand revelation. Not really any inspiration. Does that sound bad? Actually, it's great. Gary Sizer wrote and honest book about his journey and how it impacted him. He hasn't gained superpowers or the wisdom of the ancients because he decided to thru hike the AT. He's still a regular person with very common problems. It's refreshing to read about a regular guy who stays a regular guy despite attempting something extraordinary. This was very fun and well worth reading.
September 30, 2017
I've read a lot of trail memoirs, and always look forward to another one. However, about 20% through the book I had to drop it. There was a significant amount of foul language, and it seemed impossible to go more than a few minutes without it. The book also included references to smoking joints on the trail as if that's a normal thing to do. This, combined with a story line that was not all that interesting, finally hit a point where I could not continue it.
October 12, 2022
Not many books have made me cry at the end. Reading the ending here made me feel like I was finishing my full Ironman and it was filled with emotion.
This book was so well written. I love AT books, and this one is in my top 3 favorites. I felt like I was there every step of the way, especially in the sections I’ve done.
This book was so well written. I love AT books, and this one is in my top 3 favorites. I felt like I was there every step of the way, especially in the sections I’ve done.
May 29, 2016
Want to take a long walk?
Great book about the Appalachian Trai! Thank you Gary for your account! Great read! ☺ Hopefully I will be able to go one day
Great book about the Appalachian Trai! Thank you Gary for your account! Great read! ☺ Hopefully I will be able to go one day
May 2, 2016
Outstanding! Probably the best AT book I have read.
February 28, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Sizer had me literally laughing out loud.
March 3, 2019
I've read a bunch of books about the Appalachian Trial and this was one of the best. It has really funny parts that actually made me laugh out loud. Such a good book!
December 28, 2019
Read Bill Bryson for a laugh, read Gary Sizer for the real deal- I’ve just made a bucket list and added the AT to it.
May 29, 2020
Very well written, one of the best trail books I've read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews