About 20 years ago, I experienced a modern wagon train of sorts in Ghana, West Africa, where caravans of busses, trucks and cars would gather at a stopping point to make the 236-mile trip from Kamasi to Tamale. We would stop for over an hour waiting for “enough” vehicles to que up. Armed with AK-47s, guards would then signal to move out, protecting folks from gangs of bandits and Islamic terrorists through the dangerous baron stretch. It was unnerving to say the least when you experience something like that for the first time. It made me think of the hardships people faced on the wagon trains in America’s history—safety from bandits, hostile Indians, harsh terrain. Before you roll your eyes, hear me out.
Having been a big fan of the 1957-65 Western series Wagon Train, it occurs to me there are also many parallels about the wagon trains of the historic Western expansion of the United States and the incredible recreational vehicle and camping of today. While RVers of today are not necessarily heading West for a new life, some of the same basics still apply. Equipment is one example. The typical prairie schooners of the 19th Century were about 10 ft long and 31/2 ft wide on the inside. They were equipped with a 20 gallon water cask. There was room for supplies, cooking and eating utensils, repair tools, spare wheels and possibly a place for up to two people to sleep, if the wagon was partially unpacked for the night. Stoves were a luxury because they were so heavy and they were often discarded along the way.
Back in the day, like in Ghana, there were also armed riders that helped protect the wagon trains. At night, the people would circle up and make camp, each having their own campfire and “space” to settle in. Early pioneers had to clear their campgrounds. In the latter half of the 1800s, there were more regular places to camp. People would sleep in tents or under the wagons, if not in the wagon. Accounts of camp life document that once settled at camp, people would play cards, read, have social time with one another, even have dances to wind down from the very difficult day. As to bathroom privacy, pioneers had to find their own secluded spot outside the camp and were encouraged to bury their waste. Fast forward to today.
Today’s “wagon” varies in length with width being six to eight feet. There is typically a water tank, even a bathroom. If not, campgrounds have toilet facilities. The campgrounds also provide safety today. Those camping or “glamping” also look out for one another. Campers and RVers, like their predecessors, have limited storage, so they are mindful of what they bring along. After a long day of traveling, albeit a whole lot different than driving a team of horses, the time to make camp, set a campfire, and relax is part of the reason so many take up RVing. And the people you meet along the way are often times more interesting than the places visited. Also, many RV clubs travel together, reminiscent of times past. As with Jesus’s words in Mark 6:31, “Come away by yourselves to a solitary place and rest a while.” Wagons HO!
