Overview
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-Using a wagon, or “prairie schooner” with a max load of 2400 lb., we plan to pack it to 2200 lb.
-We are Leaving April 4th to avoid the heat but early enough to finish arrive before winter.
-The trip is planned to take around 160 days, so we need to take a large amount of food
-We are leaving Missouri and taking the Oregon Trail, using the more specific route known as the Barlow Road.
-From what we have heard, many have already taken this road, so it will be well-worn, and finding a suitable group shouldn’t be hard.
-We are Leaving April 4th to avoid the heat but early enough to finish arrive before winter.
-The trip is planned to take around 160 days, so we need to take a large amount of food
-We are leaving Missouri and taking the Oregon Trail, using the more specific route known as the Barlow Road.
-From what we have heard, many have already taken this road, so it will be well-worn, and finding a suitable group shouldn’t be hard.
Supplies/Useful Items
![Picture](/uploads/8/9/6/3/89634891/unknown_2_orig.jpeg)
- not taking 300 lb Dutch iron stove, instead bring a grill and cook over the fire at night
- take water purifiers, less water on board
- bring 1 cow for milk
- bring an extra wagon wheel and tools
- bring more than usual muskets, hatchets, bullets, and powder to shoot cattle
- bring shiny items, beads, and trinkets in case of meeting Indians, an interpreter would be a bonus
- bring flotation devices in case of needing to cross a river
- bring extra wide wagon wheels to cross deserts, so sinking down won’t happen
- have an extra horse to scout for quicksand, deep pits, rapid rivers, and other possible dangers.
- bring a few good maps and a compass so you don't lose your way, especially in the desert.
- bring ropes to pull broken or stuck wagons, and to hoist wagons up an incline
- take a few chickens for extra food supply, but they will eventually eat more and take more care than the value of what they produce, so sell them a few months into the trip.
- Use Oxen, even though they are slower they can eat Prairie grass, and they are tougher.
- panning tools, shovel, hatchet, pickaxe, knives, muskets, sickle, bullet mold, iron, revolvers, shot, and powder.
- butter churn, water casks, carpentry kit, , candles, nails, rope, wheels, kitchenware, and tent.
- 4 sacks of flour, 100 lbs rice, 100 lbs cornmeal, 200 lbs bacon, 200 lbs pork, 100 lbs dried beef, 200 lbs lard, 30 lbs peas, 10 lbs salt/pepper, 1 gal. vinegar, 50 lbs dried apples, 60 lbs sugar, 40 lbs baking soda, 80 lbs coffee/tea
- washboard, 5 shirts and 4 shirts per person, 3 rain ponchos, 8 blankets, 4 pillows, sewing kit, soap.
Tips for the Trail
- pack everything in separate, sealed containers in case of water, dust, and germs, and it will be easier to unpack to temporarily lighten loads
- Bring sufficient money for ferries and resupplying any items.
- travel in a mid-size group; a group with an experienced guide and physician would be ideal.
- If a physician can’t be found to go with the group, bring medicine books, and bring a lot of medications and bandages with you.
- form a wagon circle during the night.
- alert all in the group about being safe, because many injuries occur from being rolled over or falling off the wagon.
- kill more cattle on the trail, will lessen initial load, and lets us have fresh meat.
- Hostile Indians are very rare, but bringing beads and trinkets to trade with the peaceful tribes can help us a lot.
- Bring extra blankets and warm clothes in case of an early snow
- knowing how to use ropes, pulleys, and having carpenter skills will help a lot should anything go wrong or break.
- expect warm days and cold nights, but prepare for extreme temperatures.
- marking where outposts, trading areas, and rest stops are will help in the success of this trip.
- bring several valuable items, so we can trade them during the trip in a place where the item is scarce, to make more money.
- make sure to treat our cattle well, because if one of them becomes sick, breaks a leg, or is malnourished, that could mean the end of the journey.
Trail Terrain and WeatherMuch of the terrain of the Oregon Trail is flat plains, sloping valleys, and rocky hills. The most dangerous part of the journey is Barlow Pass, which is situated at the crest of the Cascade Mountains. It is a rocky, steep, and narrow passage, and we will most likely have to use ropes and pulleys to let the wagon down the slopes. Aside from this pass, the rivers we have to cross are pretty low, and we shouldn't have much trouble crossing them with a ferry. The weather should be cooling down, but we shouldn't make the mistake of not preparing for heat too. The days will get colder, but, if time permits, we won't encounter any snow. Actually, the main danger isn't the terrain or weather, but sickness and injuries, both of which can be stopped through being careful, and knowing the correct medicine.
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