Labs / History
Gold for Salt
A caravan sets out from Sijilmasa loaded with salt, worthless in the north but precious in the gold-rich Sahel. Tap the oases to plan where you'll refill water, then load water against cargo and pick a caravan size & route against the risk of sandstorms — every camel that dies of thirst takes its salt with it.
Water 100%Day 0Lost 0Profit +0
What to try
- Skip an oasis to shave off days. Does travelling faster leave you with more profit, or do the camels run dry first?
- Push the water load down to 20%. How much extra salt can you carry — and does any of it survive the crossing?
- Send a caravan of 200 camels. Why does each kilogram of salt suddenly fetch less gold in the Sahel?
- Take the Direct Desert route versus the Oasis Chain. Which loses more camels, and which one actually pays better?
- Turn on night travel. If camels drink less by night, why didn't every caravan simply do this?