4,500km on a pedal boat

Canadian plans monumental trip from Canada to Hawaii in July

Using nothing but man-power, eating rations and having only your thoughts for company used to be standard practice for intrepid explorers eager to push themselves to the limit. Now an enterprising Canadian is set to challenge this standard by testing how technology can improve man's capabilities.

Greg Kolodziejzyk, 48, from Calgary, plans to pedal his high-tech, human-powered boat on a 4,500km, solo venture from Victoria, Canada to Hawaii, USA on July 1.

This stretch of water is notoriously dangerous and if he completes it he will become the first person ever to do so under his own power. He will be joined on his voyage by a selection of the latest gadgets including solar panels, GPS tracking systems, a satellite phone, three iPods, audiobooks and even a separate sleeping compartment.

An escort boat will also accompany him on the trip, which could last up to 80 days.

Kolodziejzyk is not doing this for curiosity though. If his boat withstands the journey, he hopes to raise enough money to buy 3,000 bikes for underprivileged children in Canada via the charity, Kimberly’s Bikes for Kids.

Kolodziejzyk, who already holds two world records for the furthest distance traveled by human power on land and in water in one day, said: "The objective here is to see how far we can use technology to improve what the human being is capable of doing under his own power. I think that is what we have here.

"This is a pretty efficient boat for doing an ocean crossing under human power. It's pretty high-tech for being low-tech, for being human-powered.

“It's sort of a mix of the best technology we can find to do both."

For more information on Kolodziejzyk's trip, visit: www.pedaltheocean.com