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Dugout Shelters
A dugout shelter uses the earth itself for insulation and concealment. Learn how to build one and when this classic survival shelter makes sense.
A dugout shelter is a refuge dug into a hillside or the ground and roofed with logs, branches and soil, so the earth itself insulates and hides the space inside. It is one of the oldest survival shelters people have built. It has served hunters, soldiers and survivors for centuries.
The dugout shelter matters most to preppers planning a long term stay in one place, such as a family that reaches its own land after bugging out and intends to hold it. A few feet down, the earth keeps a steady temperature year round. That steady soil helps against both extreme cold and extreme heat, and it makes the space far easier to warm than a tent. A low profile set into a slope also makes the shelter hard to spot from a distance. The digging takes real labor, and that labor pays off when you will stay long enough to use what you built.
Guides to the Dugout Shelter
Start with our guide to the survival shelter, the wider skill set the dugout belongs to. Each dugout shelter has to solve a few key problems:
- Drainage: A dugout in the wrong spot fills with water in the first heavy rain, so site choice comes first.
- Roof: The roof carries the full weight of its soil covering and needs sturdy supporting timbers.
- Ventilation: Any fire inside needs a way for smoke to escape and fresh air to enter.
Learn these shelter skills before you need them, and a dugout shelter becomes one more way to keep your family warm, dry and out of sight.
