Hobie Kayak: Oslo to Helsinki

On 14th August Dave stepped into a Hobie Mirage Adventure Kayak for the first time and began a journey from Oslo to Helsinki. On October 1st he completed the trip having covered 1000.5 miles in 48 days.

This was the 11th leg of Expedition1000. From Oslo, Dave and Hobie travelled south via the Oslo Fjord and Sweden's Bohuslan Coastline.

Once at Gothenburg they turned left, paddling for two days against the current up the Gota Alv river and then across Sweden's largest lake, Vanern. From there the Gota Canal wound through lakes and forests to the east coast, and then four more days of pedalling took the intrepid pair to Stockholm.

Then came the open water crossing to Aland, before a final leg wiggling through the Finnish archipelago before reaching Helsinki.

Total Distance: 1000.5 miles (statute, not nautical)

Average speed: 3.5 mph

Fastest speed: 7.4 mph

Total time on the water: 303 hours, 35 minutes

Estimated pedal pushes: 1,092,900

Dave took with him the Powergorilla and Solargorilla;

"Sharing stories on the move is a key factor for my adventures, so charging cameras, phone, laptop and GPS units is essential. The Powergorilla and Solargorilla were first in the bag and had daily outings along the Scandinavian coastline. Also, the importance of Powertraveller's cables o keep USB-powered items charged at the same time as keeping weight and pack size to a minimum shouldn't be underestimated. 

Powertraveller panels and batteries keep my expeditions alive not just for me, but for the folks following along on social media around the world. They're already in the bag for the next one."