Zpacks is an outdoor gear brand founded in 2005 by Joe Valesko. It has revolutionized hiking with the development of ultralight gear.
Zpacks' commitment: to design only products that they themselves would dream of using. A guarantee of quality and innovation. Their two main assets: real experience in the field and innovative material choices like Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF).
It is also a human-sized company with high specifications and a real sense of ethics. The production is national, everything is handmade and made to order.

Icebreaker was founded in 1995 around the belief that "nature always has a better way". The obsession of Jeremy Moon, the founder, is to seek to rely less and less on the petrochemical industry. All of their products are based on Merino wool which is ideal for its quick drying, heat wicking and high breathability qualities.
Icebreaker is also committed to the environment and was the first company to ban mulesing on sheep, a real kick in the pants that initiated change in the industry.
In a few years they have become an international reference in the field of base layers.

At the end of the 1950s, optician Roger Pouilloux offered French ski champion Jean Vuarnet the 02 frame as a token of his admiration. It is with these glasses equipped with the famous Skilynx glass that Jean Vuarnet will win the gold medal of downhill skiing of the Olympic Games. The VUARNET house was born.
The reputation of this legendary brand is well established. Handcrafted in France, Vuarnet mineral lenses are natural and recyclable as opposed to plastic "lenses" known as "organic". The production is 100% local, the raw material comes from Seine et Marne.

The history of the Olympus brand began over a century ago. Specialized in medical systems, they also develop solutions for the industry but if we asked them for this adventure, it is for their optical systems and their cameras.
From 2012 to 2020, and in 2022, Olympus was recognized as one of the 100 most innovative companies in the world and you can see that quality in their cameras and lenses. Rugged gear, cut for adventure, without compromising on weight or image quality.

Drytech is a Norwegian brand that has learned from its country's history to prepare food for expeditions and outdoor raids in difficult conditions.
This family business, passionate, human and responsible, was born from the desire of a man to enjoy the cuisine he loved the most, that of his wife, even in the most remote arctic lands. Since 1989, Rolph Hansen has been putting his energy into perfecting his innovative freeze-drying techniques, which are gentle and respectful of food and famous recipes. Since then, REAL, the Drytech brand, has accompanied millions of men and women on their adventures.

Enlightened Equipment is an ultralight gear brand known for its high-quality down sleeping bags and quilts. Founded in the United States by a group of enthusiasts, EE is dedicated to creating ultralight gear for nature lovers.
The use of advanced materials allows Enlightened Equipment to focus on the essential: combining lightness and durability. The company has made important ethical choices such as not using PFCs in their products or the traceability of their excellent down, exclusively of European origin. Their lifetime guarantee against any defect is a real guarantee of exemplary manufacture.

Garmin is a world leader in navigation products. We chose them for our GPS solutions and connected bracelets. We needed a GPS and a satellite phone to enable us to navigate efficiently and deal with possible emergency situations.
Equipped with the InReach Explorer+ as well as the Fenix 5X for Nil and the VivoActive 3 for Marie, we could face any situation. Our position was relayed in real time on the site, we could call for help even without a phone network or internet connection. Nil could follow our GPX track from his wrist and our vital data such as heart rate were followed live as well as their evolution in time since our departure.

Chapka is a broker specialized in travel insurance since 2002. Pioneers in this market, they create insurance solutions adapted to the needs of tourism professionals and individuals.
Chapka Assurances was born from a desire to make insurance accessible to all by making contracts understandable, simplifying the subscription and facilitating reimbursements. Independent travelers can subscribe to their 100% travel insurance online, with maximum simplicity.
Short stay, long term trip, Working Holiday Program, Internship and studies abroad, expatriation, foreigners in France... Many formulas allow to choose the solution adapted to each trip.

Compressport is a Swiss sports compression brand that has become a worldwide reference in the field of triathlon, trail running, cycling and endurance in general. Almost 15 years of ultralight innovations to help athletes in their quest for performance but also in their recovery. Compressport equips athletes including some of the biggest names in endurance.
If so many athletes trust Compressport, it is mainly because serious scientific studies have proven the benefits of their products on sports performance.

The Fire Maple adventure began in 2003 under the impetus of the passion of its founder, David Lv. Why couldn't what keeps us healthy be done in our favorite places? "Cooking outside as simply and as deliciously as at home" became his goal.
Today, Fire Maple develops many award-winning products: stove solutions, kitchen utensils, tableware, all incredibly light!
The choice of titanium and advanced alloys allows them to divide the weight of many of their equipments without compromising their durability which is a real plus in ultralight hiking!

After three decades of research and development in the field of semiconductors, PowerFilm Solar has become the world's leading manufacturer of ultra-thin solar panels. Although the production volume is large, PowerFilm Solar prides itself on having local production and complete quality control. Each of their products is tested before shipping to ensure the best possible energy return.
The LightSaver Max is their latest innovation. An ultralight and resistant solar panel that wraps around an 18000 Mah battery that can also be charged in USB-C and delivers enough current to charge two devices quickly. Moreover, they can be coupled to cumulate their power.

For almost 100 years, Scarpa has been designing and manufacturing mountain and trekking boots known for their quality. Founded in the heart of the Dolomites in Italy, between tradition and innovation, Scarpa has grown from a family business to a world-renowned company.
If we chose Scarpa shoes to accompany us on this 10,000 km adventure, it's because of the quality of their shoes of course, but also because their wide range of products allowed us to find all the shoes to face all types of terrain and different seasons. Last but not least, we both felt very comfortable in them.

Julien, Thierry and Patrick are the founders of Nutriting and propose a unique offer in France combining information, dietary advice and supplementation.
By underlining the importance of combining dietary and lifestyle advice with nutritional supplements, Nutriting is taking the problem in the right direction: first insisting on the importance of a balanced diet and then proposing supplements adapted to specific needs.
Their site is built around two main axes: education, by teaching the basics of a balanced diet, and supplementation, by creating a range of quality food supplements.

Yeti was born in the living room of a house in East Germany in 1983 with a home-made sleeping bag. The brand became Danish in the summer of 2005 after being acquired by one of the leading Danish outdoor brands, Nordisk. They have remained specialized in what they do best: down gear for trekking in extreme conditions.
Their "Crystal Down" is probably the finest and most voluminous European down. The sleeping bags and down jackets are handmade in Europe. Last but not least, they are durable, compact (each jacket fits in its own pocket) and of course ultra-light! In recent years, Yeti has received numerous awards for its innovations.

Bedrock Sandals were born from the meeting of two outdoor and hiking enthusiasts Dan Opalacz and Nick Pence. In 2011, they embarked on an incredible challenge: to create a technical sandal that would meet the requirements of the sportsmen and adventurers most concerned with lightness and minimalism. The project was first launched through participatory funding on Kickstarter where it met with great success.
In addition to being a human-sized company with entirely local production and serious quality guarantees, Bedrock Sandals supports the 1% for the Planet program and offers opportunities to fight against overconsumption with the Re-Soul program to repair worn sandals.

Mon GR is the French reference site dedicated to long distance hiking in France. The site helps hikers to better prepare their hikes in France thanks to an interactive mapping system but also tons of advices, information, articles and sheets on the GRs. In France, as in many countries of the world, the community of itinerant walkers is in full expansion. Its practitioners are more and more numerous and younger and younger. Mon GR is an official platform as fresh as modern, managed by a young and dynamic team belonging to the French Federation of Hiking (FFRP).

TheTrek.co is America's leading website for long distance hiking, thru-hiking. The site shares tips on gear, food, epic adventures and a thousand other essential pieces of information for both beginners and experienced hikers. In addition to the editors, a small community of hand-picked writers, all experienced hikers, share their adventures and those that affect them.
TheTrek.co has been awarded several times as one of the best outdoor blogs.

The Via Dinarica is a long-distance hiking trail that crosses the entire Dinaric Alps from Slovenia to Albania. National Geographic named it one of the best new destinations in the world in 2017. A reputation they intend to keep!
The Dinaric Alps are a huge mountain range in the heart of the Balkans that crosses 8 countries: Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Kosovo, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania. The Via Dinarica connects 21 national parks, 250 peaks over 2000 m and 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The Rota Vicentina is a network of hiking trails in southwestern Portugal, totaling 450 km to walk along one of the most beautiful and well-preserved coastal areas in southern Europe.
It offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a lively and authentic rural culture while traveling along a surprisingly wild coastline. The route is fully signposted and can be walked in both directions.
In February 2016, the Rota Vicentina Historical Trail received the European certification "Leading Quality Trails - Best of Europe" awarded by ERA (the European Rambling Federation), joining the privileged group of the best hiking destinations in Europe.

The European Parliament is the only institution of the European Union elected by direct universal suffrage. There is therefore a special relationship between this body and the European citizens. By granting its high patronage, the European Parliament gives its moral support to a selection of non-profit events that enhance European culture and promote the rich heritage of our continent.
Seduced by the cultural dimension of our initiative, the President of the European Parliament grants his patronage to Deux Pas Vers l'Autre for its crossing of Europe.

On this blog are published chronicles about expeditions in progress in the four corners of the world, such as walking along the longest river in Asia, reaching the extreme south of the Americas from the Arctic without motorized means or... crossing Europe on foot from west to east!
Greg Michaels, the author, has a penchant for traveling off the beaten path. He knows a thing or two about it, having worked for NASA on missions to Venus and Mars.