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The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Friday, September 4, 2026

Thor Pedersen's Essential Travel Item Was a Pen

During his extensive travels, Thor Pedersen identified a simple pen as his most essential travel item. He also shared that he carried a National Geographic encyclopedia, despite its size and weight, finding it enjoyable to consult.

personThor Pedersen

The tape

2 quotes
A pen.
Thor Pedersen
I had a Nat Geo encyclopedia. It was like a world map or encyclopedia. It was heavy, it was big, and it was a ridiculous thing to carry through the entire world.
Thor Pedersen
Heard on The Atlas Obscura Podcast — “Unpacking an Incredible Journey with Thor Pedersen, published Friday, September 4, 2026. Heardvine summarizes and quotes with attribution and timestamps, and links to the original everywhere.
Transcribed via Gemini audio transcription · $0.02
Thor Pedersen's Essential Travel Item Was a Pen — Heardvine