I knew that this package was going to be a bit ungainly, but I didn’t expect it to be such a masterpiece of engineering. It arrived barely intact, bearing the scars of the long trip from the West Coast: three big recycled boxes, all strung together by gobs of tape and patched with other shipping/receiving detritus. Enclosed within was a frame backpack from Eurotrips of generations past, brought out of retirement in my garage into the wild world once more. This was the Brett Favre of backpacks.

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Good day, sirs and madams. I am Christine, your Guardian through Austria and Hungary.

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Written by John Kocsis

Fort Kearney

This outpost was built along the Platte River as a supply post to deal with the huge groundswell of immigrants heading west to Oregon City. Unlike other similarly named forts, which were established by the US Army to fight the Indian Wars, Fort Kearney was established with the imprimatur of Washington D.C. as the first restocking point for those who had recently set out from Independence, MO. That is not to say that it does not have protective interests in mind. Fort Kearney connects the trails beginning in Independence, Council Bluffs, and St. Joseph’s, and uses military power to protect travelers heading to Oregon and California from attacks. Even its prices, while a bit more expensive than Matt’s General Store, definitely have the interests of you pioneers in mind.

Chimney Rock

This is aptly named landmark consisting mainly of Brule clay is the first major sign you will encounter that shows how you are following the same path as so many pioneers before you. Although Santa Claus won’t be coming down this chimney (and no smoke will be going up), this is a surreal sight that looks especially stunning in the moonlight. Many travelers take this opportunity to stop and rest (or, in reality, to simply marvel at the sight), and you should take advantage of the company by talking to them about the rock. You are also likely to find Indians here eager to trade fish for clothing. As one researcher of ours was told by a fellow emigrant, the Native Americans “understand ‘swap’ and ‘no swap’” here, providing the perfect lingua franca for your transactions.

Fort Laramie

Fort Laramie was initially established as a fur trading post known as Fort William. After several successful years as the hub of the West’s booming capitalist industry, Lieutenant Woodbury, the same man who felt the need to set up Fort Kearney as an Army post in Nebraska, decided this fort could be better used to help greenhorn emigrants stay alive. Talking to locals around Fort Laramie corroborates Woodbury’s fears that Indian strife could harm helpless pioneers—a Sioux brave once told us how much he wanted to kill a Pawnee. Remember, forts, as outposts set up and supported by the United States government are the safest place along the trail. So, sleep easy if you choose to rest here.

Independence Rock

Independence Rock is the Chimney Rock of the second quarter of your trail. In other words, this is the next huge sight that reestablishes your confidence in yourself and your navigating abilities. You’ll be able to note how travelers often carve their names in this 200-foot structure: names such as Charlie, Johnson, and Phillips will be easily recognizable. There are hundreds imprinted on the rock; mountain men and fur traders, such as DeSmet, Fremont, and Bonneville, started the practice. Feel free to join these pioneering legends in fame. Also, do not hesitate to check your calendar. The rock is so named because travelers try their best to reach the landmark before Independence Day. If you reach this site before July 4, know that you are right on track.

South Pass

The so-called South Pass is actually two mountain passes in the daunting Rockies that greatly enhance travelers’ abilities to make their way across the Continental Divide. Be glad you know this shortcut; otherwise, you’d have the difficult task of following Lewis and Clark’s treacherous path up to the Bitterfoot Range in Montana. Perhaps more relevant to you and your party is that the South Pass marks the halfway point of your journey.

Fort Bridger

Like several other forts along the trail, Fort Bridger was initially established for fur trading before the US government commandeered it. Thankfully, it is now an important supply post where you can load up for the difficult journey that still remains. The founder of the fort, Jim Bridger, is still around, and he will often get into fights with the new Mormon settlers of Salt Lake City about his sale of alcohol.

Soda Springs

Unfortunately for you, the thirsty traveler, Soda Springs gets its name from sodium deposits along its banks, not because it’s filled with ice cold Coca-Cola. Its nature as a spring, however, does mean it will be a valuable source of water for you and your party. Talking with other emigrants around Soda Springs will net a variety of goals. Some, like you, are just taking a rest before continuing for Oregon. Others take this opportunity to divert their path and head southwest on a quest to find California, and gold.

Fort Hall

If pioneers embarking for California did not leave the Oregon Trail in Soda Springs, they will certainly be doing so after restocking at this useful Idahoan fort.Prices here can be exorbitant, as it is owned by the Hudson Bay Company, but Fort Hall serves as the last legitimate place to secure necessary supplies for the end of your journey.

Written by John Kocsis

Food

Traversing barely explored terrain west of the Missouri River is hard work, and it really works up an appetite. If you thought feeding a family of five was hard in Boston, Ohio, or Illinois, realize that you no longer have the option of stopping by the bakery or picking a few extra vegetables from your farm. You and those in your party are going to want to eat a ton if you want to be in good health by the trip’s end, so make sure you are giving your fellow travelers hearty filling rations instead of meager or bare-bones portions. Unfortunately, food doesn’t really keep in the heat of a wagon over several months, so you can’t splurge on food at Matt’s General Store and expect to be set until you reach Oregon City. Even if you had the right funds and preservatives to load up in Independence, your wagon can only carry 2000 pounds of food at a time. While the choices at Matt’s may not be the most appetizing, they are cheap compared to other outlets along the trail, so buy as much food as you can afford. Some travelers prefer to buy less food at Matt’s and more bullets, opting for the cheaper option of hunting for food along the route; bear in mind, you can only bring back 100lbs. food from each hunting excursion, no matter how much you kill.

A box of twenty bullets only costs $2 in Independence, making each bullet an affordable 10 cents. Keep in mind that a single shot can yield a hundred pounds of food if it hits the right animal. Even at Matt’s, the best place to purchase food on the Oregon Trail, just one pound of flour, sugar, bacon, and coffee costs 20 cents. A slab of venison will likely be much more welcome to your stomach than flour and sugar ever could be.

Of course, your success with food corresponds perfectly with your ability to hunt. This might be difficult if you have spent your life dealing with stocks and bonds in the financial center of Boston. Shooting is not an easy task. Some game, like rabbits and squirrels, are incredibly fast and difficult to catch. Luckily, they only yield about a pound or two of food, so don’t waste your time (or bullets) on them. Your party is probably eating more than that in the time it takes to pull over the wagon and catch the prey. The real meat comes with shooting deer (50-70lbs.), bears (around 100lbs.), and bison (800-1000lbs.). Unfortunately, you have to count on the rest of your party being absolutely useless (that’s what you get when you bring hundreds of bullets but only one shotgun), meaning you’ll have to carry dinner back to the wagon yourself; you can take only 100 pounds back to your party. If you are lucky, however, you might find some wild berries as you go along. While this is no bear meat, it is twenty pounds of food that come without the dangers of Trichinella.

Suggested Itineraries

After leaving Independence, you will travel 932mi. down the trail before reaching South Pass, the first split in the trail. Going for Fort Bridger takes you almost a hundred miles out of your way, so unless you need supplies, be bold and take the shortcut to Green River. You can take a ferry ($5, runs daily 24hr., no reservation necessary), so don’t fret that taking the quicker way might be less prudent.

After heading another 732mi. past South Pass, you will reach Fort Boise and the Blue Mountains, where you will have your next decision to make. You can save yourself 50mi. by heading directly to the Dalles (where you’ll wind up either way). Don’t be a fool; skip Walla Walla and go to the Dalles.

The last choice you will have to make comes when you reach the Dalles. You will have to decide whether you want to raft down the Columbia, your last great adventure before you reach Willamette Valley, or take the Barlow Toll Road. Just raft on down to your new home! There is no need to see your party get sicker and lose supplies over a treacherous last hundred miles on the Barlow Toll Road (that’s right: you’d have to pay for that grief!) when you can just end your journey with some whitewater rafting. We guarantee it is not only safer but also much more fun. And free.

Written by John Kocsis

Independence, Missouri is a bustling town made possible by the recently booming pioneering industry of which you are obviously a part. Despite the fact that Matt’s General Store has a monopoly on items necessary for cross-continental trekking, the prices are pretty reasonable. Load up here for the long and treacherous trip ahead.

As you are undoubtedly aware, the Oregon Trail heads west from Independence. Unfortunately, it is not just a simple path carved out by Lewis and Clark. Rather, it is complex terrain that includes winding rivers, towering mountains, and dangerous highway robbers. Each obstacle presents its challenges. You will have to be careful about fording your wagon at the Kansas River, 102mi. down the trail, as it can be deeper than expected in spring due to the recent snowmelt. Eighty-three more miles along is the Big Blue River. No enterprising crew has yet to establish a ferry service, so caulking your Conestoga and floating is probably the best route.

Entrepreneurs dominate the next stretch, as veritable stop-and-shops at Fort Kearney and Fort Laramie allow you to restock. It is about 1000mi. before you see any water again by reaching the 700-mile-long Green River, a tributary of the Colorado, known for carving the Grand Canyon farther south. Definitely try and purchase a ride across this dangerous stretch, assuming you do not want to unnecessarily risk caulking your wagon. Luckily, this is the part of the trail at which fresh water is suddenly available. You’ll pass Soda Springs and have to cross the Snake River on your way to the granddaddy river of them all: the Columbia, which you will have to use to raft down to the Willamette Valley.

As you reach the end of the trail, don’t worry that there won’t be shops at which to buy final supplies. Fort Hall, Fort Bridger, Fort Boise, and Fort Walla Walla all present great opportunities to spend two or three times as much as you would have had you been more prepared at Matt’s General Store.