EXPLORER David Hempleman-Adams is preparing for his next big adventure to travel solo across the Atlantic in a traditional open wicker basket.

This week Mr Hempleman-Adams, 46, from Box, announced he would be attempting the ballooning challenge for a second time after his failure last year.

He is hoping to fly from Pittsburgh, USA, across the Atlantic to Europe in a Roziere balloon to break the solo world distance record.

Last September Mr Hempleman-Adams attempted the crossing but was forced to land in Connecticut due to technical difficulties with the autopilot. "I am hoping it will be second time lucky and I am very hopeful and excited," he said.

"I learned things from failing the first time around and we have made some changes, although nothing outstanding, other than having a second auto-pilot facility this time."

He is hoping to find a window to fly in at the beginning of June and is preparing himself over the coming weeks.

"I used an oxygen tent last time to prepare for the altitude but I won't be this time, as it is noisy and keeps me awake," he said.

"I will be living on dehydrated food once I am in the balloon so I am eating as many nice things as I can before I go and the same applies to beer."

Once airborne Mr Hempleman-Adams will head for Newfoundland and then travel over the Atlantic. His voyage is expected to take about a week.

During this time he will have to cope with sleep deprivation, high altitude, temperatures well below freezing and the worst weather conditions offered by the notoriously dangerous Atlantic. He will be at the mercy of the winds as to where he lands in Europe.

"I hope I get more than the six hours sleep I got last time," he said.

Unlike most other aircraft, balloons need constant, hands-on flying. The most sleep Mr Hempleman-Adams can expect at any one time is one hour.

The flight is extremely dangerous and up-draughts could hurl the balloon above life-sustaining height while down-draughts could send it plummeting into the sea.

But the veteran explorer is not phased by the potential fatal risks and is taking up the challenge just two months after breaking another world record. In April he walked 300 miles solo to the geomagnetic North Pole and found himself another place in the Guinness Book of Records.

But unlike his last record attempt, this time he has told his wife what he is doing. "I have been planning the trip for a long time so she has been up-to- date on all the arrangements," he said.

During his flight, the balloon's open wicker basket will be just long enough for him to lie down in.

He will be keeping in constant contact with the control room in Bristol and will be checking for updates on weather conditions every hour.

The control room team will take his longitude and altitude measurements and will be informing him if he needs to gain or lose altitude to miss bad weather.

And Mr Hempleman-Adams' local pub, The Bear at Box, is right behind him as usual and have a big map on the wall to follow his progress.

"I have been making the most of the beer because I won't have any for a while and I am looking forward to having a nice pint waiting for me when I get back," he said.

Mr Hempleman-Adams has already climbed the highest mountains on all seven Continents, walked to and across both North and South Poles and been the first to fly a balloon from land to the North Pole.

"I am looking forward to the adventure. I am just a big kid having a lot of fun," he said.