See How This Man Built His Best Dugout Ever Alone Into Wild Forest

Building a Dugout in the Hillside

Take a look at this video where you will see the construction of a dugout in a hillside using hand tools. It's a very hard job, but also an interesting experience. For construction, the builder only used dead fallen trees, which were collected in the surrounding forest. Digging a hole of this size was not an easy task, and took the builder longer than expected. Finding and processing dead fallen trees also takes a significant amount of time. The assembly of the dugout structure itself is quite simple and does not take much effort and time. The builder took along mostly canned food, as during the day the air temperature is quite high, and other products can deteriorate. Canned food warmed up on fire is very tasty after a whole day of work in the fresh air. Despite the warm weather, the water in the river is cool, very refreshing, and invigorating. The builder fought mosquitoes and midges with the help of fire smoke. Inside the dugout, the builder set fire to a tinder fungus as it is a natural repellent.

The Importance of Dugout Shelters in Bushcraft

One of the core pillars of Bushcraft is being able to build shelters in the wilderness. A dugout shelter is just one of the shelters you can choose to build. Dugout shelters are one of the oldest types of housing, and the key to survival when you are stuck in the wild. Dugout shelters work as a shield against wild animals and the cold of the night by stabilizing the temperature and hiding you from the sight of dangerous creatures. Dugout shelters have helped many people survive various risky situations. You might also choose to build a dugout shelter as a place to get away and spend some time in nature.

Tools and Materials for Dugout Construction

To build a dugout shelter you will need a sharp object to help you break the ground, along with a shovel to get the digging going, and an ax or another sharp tool to cut branches or scout for already scattered ones. Leaves or moss for working up the roof. Once you search for the right spot to build your shelter, the whole idea is to make a big hole in the ground and transform it into a dugout house. In the video, you will see the dugout shelter was built in a location that had a lot of moss, which was perfect for use on the roof. The digging is followed by reinforcing the walls, and lastly, building a roof over the burrow.

Choosing the Right Location for Your Dugout

The first step when building a dugout shelter is to look around for the right location to build. First and foremost, you need to find a location where the soil is not too sandy. The idea is to settle for an area where you can easily break apart the soil or ground. The process requires lots of digging and you need to look for a spot where the soil seems to hold together firmly. You want to make sure you don't start building the dugout shelter around a water body as it can allow water to flow in your shelter if you accidentally create a hole.