Page 285 - The Lost Ways

Of course, that doesn’t mean money is completely useless. It was later James Reed’s
money that made it possible for him to mount a rescue attempt to save his family and the
other survivors. Money is definitely on the list, but it won’t buy a thing when everybody
is suffering and starving.

Supplies + Time = Life

You need enough supplies to get you through to the end of your journey along with what
you need to help you establish yourself when you get to your destination, but you
shouldn’t take more than that.

The more you are carrying, the slower you will go, and when you need to make it to your
destination before winter sets in, you do not want to be slowed down.

If you run short of time, you will use up your supplies before you reach your destination,
and then you will have to live off the land. This is difficult at the best of times, but once

the snow flies, it is even more difficult.

The Donner Party fell prey to a shortage of time. Essentially, it was the Hastings Cutoff
that killed them. They lost three days’ worth of travel in the desert and had to abandon
many of their wagons and supplies. They managed to hunt and kill a bear early on, but as
time went by and the weather got worse, wild food became scarce.

Because their trip took too long, they ran out of supplies, and starvation set in. Many

resorted to cannibalizing the dead in order to survive.

Weather Is the Deciding Factor

Weather is everything. If you are fortunate enough to have to survive in a geographic area
that doesn’t see winter or other long-term severe weather, time might be more on your
side, but if you have bad weather, it is almost impossible to live off the land.

Unless you have enough supplies and food and water set aside, you will starve to death
when bad weather hits. If, like the members of the Donner Party, you have to resort to
eating people, then your life is most definitely on the line.

Know When to Turn Back

There were numerous times when the Donner Party ran into trouble. The first instance of
this was the desert crossing. When they began sinking in the moist sand and getting

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