Could You Survive the Oregon Trail?

You're outfitting your wagon in Missouri and money is tight. What's the single most dangerous thing you could underestimate on this trip?

• A surprise attack by Native tribes
• Running out of ammunition for hunting
• The water you drink along the way
• Wild animal attacks at night

One of your oxen begins limping badly halfway through the journey. What should worry you most?

• Losing a source of meat
• Losing a source of milk
• The limp attracting wolves to the camp
• Losing your ability to move the wagon at all

A wide river lies across your path. It looks calm and runs only waist-deep at the edge. Several wagons are already lining up to ford it. Do you join them?

• No, study the current and the bottom first, calm-looking rivers drowned many
• Yes, waist-deep and calm is safe to cross
• Yes, as long as you cross quickly
• No, rivers should only ever be crossed by ferry

Each morning, wagons jockey over their place in the day's line of march. Why did this order matter enough to set rules over?

• The lead wagon was the most exposed to attack
• The wagons behind ate the choking dust kicked up all day
• The rear wagons were the first cut off in a river crossing
• Position determined who reached fresh grazing first

You notice most of the adults are walking beside their wagons mile after mile rather than riding. Why?

• The wagons were too uncomfortable to ride in
• They simply wanted to stretch their legs
• They feared the wagons tipping over
• Riding all day would exhaust the oxen the journey depended on

It's mid-July and you've fallen behind schedule, still only halfway to Oregon. Some want to rest the exhausted party for a couple of weeks. Your call?

• Rest two full weeks, exhausted people make fatal mistakes
• Rest one week as a compromise
• Press on without the long delay, being caught by mountain snow is deadly
• Turn back, the journey is already lost

Cholera is sweeping through the wagon trains ahead of you, and several parties have stopped to care for their sick before moving on. What's the wiser course for your own train?

• Keep moving and put distance between your party and the outbreak
• Stop and rest, since exhausted travelers catch illness more easily
• Join a stopped train for safety in numbers
• Wait for the sick parties ahead to recover and clear the trail

Parched and out of water, you come upon a still, stagnant pool beside an old, refuse-littered campsite. What do you do?

• Drink, since any water beats dehydration
• Avoid it, or at the very least boil it before drinking
• Skim the clear water off the top and drink that
• Stir in some whiskey to make it safe

A stranger rides up offering a "shortcut" that he promises will save your party several days. How do you weigh it?

• Take it, less time on the trail means less danger
• Trust him, locals know the land better than your map
• Refuse every guide and rely only on yourselves
• Treat it with deep skepticism, untested cutoffs led parties to disaster

After months of hardship, what truly gave a family the best odds of reaching Oregon alive?

• Clean water, careful timing, and avoiding careless accidents
• A fearless leader willing to take bold risks
• The most heavily armed wagon in the train
• Traveling alone to move faster and dodge disease