Vasque announced the kick-off of the sixth season of the Thru-Hike Syndicate, a brand partner-powered program supporting a select group of thru-hikers attempting to complete the longest trails throughout North America. The application period will run through Dec. 20, 2018 at bit.ly/THS2019application.

Since its inception in 2014, 84 ambassadors have set their sights more than 189,000 miles, utilizing the latest gear from each sponsor company on their thru hikes while representing each brand on the trail. The 2019 Thru-Hike Syndicate is supported by Vasque, Osprey Packs, OtterBox, NEMO Equipment, Leki Trekking Poles and Darn Tough Vermont.

For those looking to apply, requirements for the ideal candidate include but are not limited to:

  • Definitive plans to attempt a thru-hike of a long trail in North America in 2019
  • Active on Instagram and able to be a storyteller through imagery on social media
  • Agree to send imagery and/or video from hike to sponsor brands
  • Must use products supplied by sponsor brands throughout entire thru-hike

“It’s been amazing watching thru-hiking gain incredible momentum over the years and we’re proud to have been the founding partner of the Thru-hike-Syndicate,” said Joe Peters, head of global marketing at Vasque. “We had more than 400 hikers submit applications last year – we’re hoping for even more this year!”

More about the Thru-Hike Syndicate is available at https://vasquefootwear.tumblr.com/thruhikesyndicate2018.