The Bag That Broke The Guinness World Record
Find out what it takes
In May 2025, Michael Zervos broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest person to travel to every country on Earth—completing the journey in just 499 days. With the Matador SEG45 Travel Pack on his back, he crossed borders, dodged bribes, ate everything from tarantulas to cow hoof, and connected with people all over the world.
We caught up with Michael to uncover what it actually takes to do the impossible, and how he accomplished it with the SEG45 Travel Pack.
WHAT ARE THE GUINNESS WORLD RECORD REQUIREMENTS FOR 'VISITING' A COUNTRY—DOES A LAYOVER COUNT?
Technically, the Guinness’ rules only require that you set foot in the country. However, you must collect a specific set of evidence.
The Guinness’ required evidence:
- An approved route beforehand, journaling every day exactly what you did
- Two witness signatures from those who saw you in the country
- Digitized receipts (hotels, food, entertainment)
- Digitized tickets (boats, planes, trains)
- GPS waypoint in each (.gpx files)
- Videos showing you there
- Photos showing you there
- Any media you received along the way
Instead of taking the easy route, Michael stepped deeper into each country—meeting contacts, chasing his mission, and actually experiencing the world.
“I made a promise to myself that I would at least stay one night in every country. On average, I spent 2.5 days in each place–though I spent less time in microstates or certain small islands. The most I spent was 6 nights in the Marshall Islands.” – ZERVOS
THE HARDEST BORDERS TO CROSS
Some countries posed logistical nightmares for Michael Zervos, but two were initially impossible to enter legally when he began his journey—Sudan and North Korea. Sudan, locked in a brutal civil war, wasn’t issuing visitor visas until two-thirds through his trip, when he became one of the first tourists allowed back in. North Korea had been sealed since COVID, but after months of persistent follow-ups with tour companies, he secured entry during a rare two-week reopening—just weeks after visiting Sudan—before the country shut its borders again.
WHAT INSPIRED THE CHALLENGE OF VISITING EVERY COUNTRY...FASTER THAN ANYONE ELSE?
During the pandemic, filmmaker Michael Zervos lost a major project and found himself in the lowest point of his life, realizing he had defined himself entirely by his work. Determined to rebuild his sense of purpose, he set out to break the Guinness World Record for the fastest trip to every country. Within this mission, he decided to explore the idea of happiness by asking people in every country the same question: What is the happiest moment of your life?
"I wasn’t going to break a world record without a purpose. If I could collect perspectives of happiness everywhere I went, I would have the meaning I was searching for." – ZERVOS
HOW THE SEG45 PACK MADE THE TRIP POSSIBLE
"When you’re traveling straight for 499 days, you need a bag that cannot fail you…The bag’s two key strengths are its packing density and soft shape. Since it has several built-in ‘packing cubes’ in its segments, you can fit a crazy amount of stuff in it.” - ZERVOS
For Zervos, who traveled nonstop to every country on Earth, his backpack became an extension of his own body. There was no time on the road to replace such an essential item, so he became so familiar with his SEG45 Pack that he could pack and unpack in the dark, under stress, or with only two minutes before a plane departed. Its segmented design allowed him to fit an extraordinary amount of gear and prepare for any circumstance without overpacking.
The SEG45’s soft, backpack-style shape also proved invaluable, letting him move through crowded airports, board motorcycle taxis, and adapt to unpredictable travel conditions. He even recalls pulling out a second rain jacket to lend a fellow traveler in Dominica, earning a look like he was Mary Poppins. For Zervos, the bag’s packing density and adaptability were critical in making his world record journey possible.
THE SEG45 BEAT OUT THE COMPETITION
Michael walks through the criteria and decision-making that ultimately led him to the most capable travel bag for the job.
“Before I left, I did a gear trial. A real one. I tested every bag I could get my hands on. The SEG45 just…worked. It’s deceptively simple, but it does a ton. I could organize by climate, region, dirty vs. clean. I was able to compress everything and keep moving. The durability blew me away. I threw it under buses in Africa, carried it through rainforests, and dragged it across tarmac in Southeast Asia. Never failed me.”
EXTREME CONDITIONS HANDLED BY THE SEG45
Through floods, temperature swings, and constant movement, Michael relied on the SEG45’s design to keep his packing lean and purposeful. Zervos put the SEG45 through its paces during his travels.
In Saigon, he rode on the back of a motorcycle through monsoon flooding so severe it was sweeping away other bikes. And yet, his backpack, protected by a rain cover, made it through without any issues.
Rapid climate shifts were routine, and his bag proved a reliable travel companion.
“I went from freezing Moscow, to a chilly Istanbul, to a brutally hot Chad all in a single day. Everything I needed was in my backpack.”
PACK SMART: ESSENTIALS ONLY
For Michael, packing for a race to every country was a deliberate, intentional process. Every item in his SEG45 had a purpose, leaving no room for unnecessary extras. While a few items proved less useful than expected and were given away to people he met along the way, there were no surprises. His dialed approach ensured he had exactly what he needed.
FROM VEGETARIAN TO EATING TARANTULAS
Michael Zervos faced a tough personal decision before he even set foot on a plane. After eight years as a vegetarian, he chose to set that aside for his world record journey, committing to eat whatever locals ate as a way to fully connect with the people and cultures he encountered.
That meant sampling everything from fresh market produce to tarantulas, insects, and animal innards. While he embraced most dishes with curiosity, he admits there was one he could never grow to like—cow hoof—despite being served it multiple times.
For Michael, it was a sacrifice rooted in respect for his hosts and a determination to experience each country without holding back.
TOP-RATED COUNTRIES
To most people’s surprise, Michael Zervos says there’s not a single country he wouldn’t visit again. While he has too many favorites to count, some of the world’s least-visited nations turned out to be the most surprising and rewarding. He credits this largely to the people he met there.
WORLD-CLASS LESSONS
After visiting every country in the world, Zervos says he’s still unpacking how the experience has changed him. One noticeable shift is his impatience for surface-level interactions. He now prefers to get to the heart of things quickly. He’s also become more tolerant of people’s quirks, recognizing the difference between personal tastes and moral values, and finds it easier to both forgive and seek forgiveness.
Michael Zervos’s 499-day sprint through 195 countries earned him the title for Guinness World Record. From navigating closed borders to sharing meals that challenged his comfort zone, he approached every obstacle with intention and respect.
The SEG45 Travel Pack was a trusted companion that carried the gear for every climate and contingency, enabling him to experience the world–faster than anyone else.
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