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Imagine tying your shoelaces in Iowa and walking all the way to Utah — on foot, through rain, mud, and mountain passes!
Between 1847 and 1868, over 60,000 pioneers hiked the Mormon Trail, a 1,300-mile dirt path stretching from the Missouri River to the Salt Lake Valley.
How did thousands of families carry enough food and supplies to survive for four months without any grocery stores along the way?

Covered Wagon Companies

Most pioneers traveled in wagon companies, organized groups of about 30 to 50 large wooden wagons topped with curved canvas covers.
These heavy wagons were pulled by teams of oxen — strong, patient work cattle that could haul tons of supplies across muddy plains and rocky rivers.
You might picture pioneer kids sitting comfortably inside while horses galloped ahead, but that almost never happened! Wagons carried over 2,000 pounds of flour, bacon, seed potatoes, and tools, so almost everyone walked alongside for 10 to 15 miles every single day.
A full wagon setup with four oxen cost hundreds of dollars — money that thousands of poor European converts simply did not have. How could they reach the valley without a wagon?

Handcart Companies

In 1856, church president Brigham Young and the Perpetual Emigrating Fund (PEF) introduced handcart companies as a low-cost alternative for poor European converts.
A handcart was a two-wheeled wooden cart with long shafts and a crossbar, pulled and pushed entirely by human muscle.
Because people did all the pulling, space was strictly limited. Each traveler was allowed only 17 pounds of personal gear — just one warm coat, a blanket, and a change of clothes!