Adventure Journey has posted another interesting article today, this time on Thor Heyerdahl and his epic crossing of the Pacific. The article is a bit of background information about Heyerdahl and his crew and a bit of thinking out loud on what one would have to do to repeat his feat.
Thor Heyerdahl is a name that most adventurers, armchair or otherwise, has probably heard. For those who haven’t, however, he, and his five other men built a raft out of wood that they found on the Peruvian coast, then proceeded to sail that raft across the Pacific ocean, proving that primitive cultures could have done the same, migrating to distant islands or possibly even further. The six men completed their crossing after three months at sea, back in 1947, and Heyerdahl went on to write Kon Tiki, a now classic adventure book that has been translated into 65 different languages. The raft was christened the Kon Tiki by the men, and it seemed fitting for it to be the title of the book as well.
If you would like to attempt a similar crossing yourself, then the article also lays out the the basic sailing certifications that you would need to pilot your own Kon Tiki, including navigation, boat building, and other essential skills. It also lays out what you could expect on your journey across the Pacific. Namely, and endless expanse of water, wild storms, sharks, and more.
The story is a great introduction to Thor and his adventure, but if it sparks your interest, do yourself a favor and pick up the book. It’s an essential adventure book for anyone’s library.
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How cool is Thor!? I’ve been a fan of his for years. I have heard the term GTD – Getting things done. Well Thor could have written chapters. A man who lived the phrase -Put your money where your mouth is -as it were.
He has a lot of books out as well. Of course Kon-Tiki and the Ra Expeditions being classics, but Fatu-Hiva is great as his first adventure and his later memoir style stuff – Green Was The Earth on the Seventh Day and In the Footsteps of Adam are good also. A bit rambling at points but sincere at their heart by a curious man who cared about the world and was not afraid to adventure out to learn more.
Thor, and crew, are definitely amazing. I didn’t realize he had written so many other books. Thanks a bunch for the recommendations. I think I need to go the bookstore to find something to read over the coming holidays! 🙂