There was also the Mormon Trail which went from Council Bluffs, Iowa to Salt Lake City, Utah. Some of them branched off the Oregon Trail like the California Trail which left the Oregon Trail in Idaho and headed south to California. Other items included tents, bedding, and basic tools such as an axe and a shovel.Īlthough the Oregon Trail was the most used wagon trail, there were other trails that led out west. They packed candles for lighting and a rifle to hunt with along the way. They only had room to pack two or three sets of tough clothing. The pioneers didn't have room for a lot of fancy items. They also took a few basic cooking utensils such as a coffee pot, some buckets, and an iron skillet. They took preserved foods such as hard tack, coffee, bacon, rice, beans, and flour. It took over a 1,000 pounds of food to feed a family of four on the trip out west. The covered wagon was mostly filled with food. When they left their homes in the east, they had to leave most of their belongings. The pioneers were able to bring very little with them. Other dangers included bad weather and accidents while trying to move their heavy wagons over the mountains. The real danger was from a disease called cholera that killed many settlers. As a matter of fact, many records show that Native Americans helped many of the travelers along the way. However, the danger wasn't from Native Americans as you might think. Traveling the Oregon Trail in the 1800s was a dangerous journey. Traveling wasn't too bad with the wagons on the flat terrain of the prairies, but once the settlers reached the Rocky Mountains, getting the wagons up and down steep trails was very difficult. A lot of the time the pioneers walked alongside the wagons. A fully loaded wagon could weigh as much as 2,500 pounds. Most of the settlers used oxen to pull their wagons. The typical covered wagon was about 10 feet long and four feet wide. The covers were made from waterproofed cotton or linen canvas. The wagons were made of wood with iron around the wheels like tires. Sometimes these wagons were called "Prairie Schooners", because they were like boats going over the vast prairies of the west. The main vehicle used to carry the pioneer's belongings was the covered wagon.
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