Fording a river is risky. You can lose food, supplies, oxen, or worse, people. Should you ford?
- Ferrying is the safest option. For money, or later on, trade in supplies, you can get a safe trip across the river. If you're the banker, do this! You'll probably end up with lots of cash burning a hole in your pocket by the end anyway. For the carpenter, ferries are nice too, though you may need to be more judicious.
- If you're the farmer, ferries are a luxury you can't afford. You'll have to decide to ford or to caulk. Think about the river depth. Assume that your travelers are about 5 feet tall. The river is moving. A 3-foot depth is going to be very difficult to walk across! Caulk around 2 1/2-3 feet or more.
- When should you ford, then? Ford only if the river's not too deep.
