( CNN ) -- In 1916 , British polar explorer Ernest Shackleton managed to save his entire crew after they had been stranded in the Antarctic for almost two years . Now , nearly a century later , Australian explorer Tim Jarvis and his team of five adventurers have set sail Thursday on a voyage to emulate Shackleton 's epic survival journey , using almost exactly the same equipment and rations . During the original , grandly titled `` Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition '' , Shackleton had attempted to cross the Antarctic and reach the South Pole with a crew of 27 men on his ship , the Endurance . But , after little more than a month , temperatures dropped so dramatically that the ship froze solid in the ice and eventually sunk . So began the long mission to survive , culminating in what is regarded by many to be one of the most astonishing rescue journeys in history . After abandoning ship and finding land on the inhospitable and remote Elephant Island , Shackleton set out with just five of his men in a small open lifeboat to seek help for the rest of his crew . Braving 20 meter-high waves , they rowed for two weeks across 800 nautical miles ( 1,482 kilometers ) of icy ocean to the island of South Georgia . There they trekked 32 miles along the island 's mountainous interior , eventually securing vital assistance at a manned whaling outpost . Attempts to repeat Shackleton 's rescue mission have been done before , but Jarvis ' journey has a special twist . In the name of authenticity , they will reenact the whole thing on a replica of the original lifeboat and use only equipment and rations available in the early 20th century . `` Nobody has managed to do it the way Shackleton did it -- with the same gear and the same boat , '' said Jarvis , who believes it 's the most challenging expedition of his life . `` It 's not to be taken lightly , '' he added . The only modern adjustments on board are the emergency gear and radios . Apart from that , the crew are facing exactly the same privations as their predecessors -- right down to the handmade reindeer skin sleeping bags , unpalatable but nutritious Pemmican ( a concentrated mixture of fat and protein ) and Shackleton 's favorite whiskey `` Whyte & Mackay '' . Jarvis and his crew have just left Elephant Island and are now sailing the rough Southern Ocean in their replica of the James Caird , a wooden lifeboat only 6.85 meters ( 22 feet ) long ; the size of a typical six-seated mini bus . They will then attempt the climb using only one small section of rope and a carpenter 's adze -- just as Shackleton did . As the centenary of Shackleton 's journey approaches , the motivation for this expedition is in large part to honor the great explorer 's legacy , even if it means risking life and limb and overcoming some enormous challenges . `` There is a certain amount of luck involved , as well as the skill of the crew and the preparation of the boat , '' explained Jarvis , in an interview before he left for the Antarctic . The team 's skipper Nick Bubb is concerned about the technical difficulties of operating an antiquated yacht . `` The boat does n't have a keel , which means it will capsize easily . And since we are relying on celestial navigation , a cloudy sky will make it more difficult knowing where we are , '' he said . For the worst case scenario , there is a modern boat trailing them , ready to pick them up if disaster strikes . And , unlike Shackleton and his men , this crew has n't already spent over 500 days abandoned in the Antarctic . Polar historian and author Dr Huw Lewis-Jones thinks this reenactment is an excellent way of resussitating interested in the early 20th century period known as the `` Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration '' . `` We need people like Tim Jarvis to do things like this that bring history alive , '' Lewis-Jones said . `` Anyone who has ever been to the Southern Ocean knows how awesome Shackleton 's journey was . It 's quite rightly called an epic , '' he added . `` The human will to survive is strong and in Shackleton it found its perfect exponent . The man was a legend , '' Lewis-Jones said . As an environmental scientist , Jarvis also wants to draw attention to the climate change affecting Antarctica since Shackleton 's time , which he attributes to global warming . Most of all , however , he wishes to honor the spirit of Shackleton 's philosophy . `` One of his key messages was the importance of team work , '' Jarvis said . `` We need to all act together in this world today , to overcome our problems . ''
Adventurers set to re-enact polar explorer Ernest Shackleton 's epic journey . The team will only use equipment and clothes available during early 20th century . No one has yet managed to replicate Shackleton 's entire rescue voyage . Australian explorer Tim Jarvis will be the expedition leader .