The "Kon-Tiki" brand was widely used in popular culture. Thor and the crew devised ways to make money to pay back some of the debt they had incurred during the expedition. Souvenirs for sale, including Kon-Tiki models, became a solution.

The Kon-Tiki voyage was hailed as the greatest maritime adventure of our time. But was Thor Heyerdahl the first to experiment with copies of old crafts? Or was he equally inspired by the adventurous travels of others?