Dugout: a half-buried hut on a slope
A dugout is partly dug into a slope: the earth shields it from wind on all sides and keeps the temperature more even. So that the pit does not become a trap, it stays shallow, the walls are sloped and shored with wood, water is led around the hut and the roof of poles, bark and turf is built strong. You never dig alone, never under overhangs and never in sand or loose ground – and only with the landowner's permission.
- Several days of work, at least two people
Explained simply
Imagine building a hut not next to a hill but partly into it. The earth around you is like a thick blanket: the wind cannot get through, and it does not get cold so quickly at night. People lived like this thousands of years ago.
But earth is heavy – much heavier than you think. An earth wall can suddenly give way and trap a person. So you never dig deep, never alone and never under an edge, and you shore the walls with wood. The roof must be very strong too, because earth lies on top of it.
And water always flows downhill. If you dig into a slope, the rain water wants to get into your hut. A ditch above leads it past. Before you even begin, ask the owner of the land whether you may dig.
How it works
Earth has a large heat storage capacity and changes its temperature only slowly. Even at a small depth it varies much less between day and night than the air. A hut whose walls lie partly in the ground therefore cools down more slowly at night. Add the wind protection: wind chills a body and a hut strongly, and it cannot reach buried walls.
At the same time, earth presses with great weight sideways against every wall and from above onto every roof. Damp earth is even heavier than dry earth, and wet ground loses its hold. Vertical earth walls often seem to stand firm for a while – and then break away without warning. That is why walls are sloped and shored with wood, and why the pit stays shallow.
The third factor is water. A slope collects rain and meltwater and leads it downhill – straight into a pit lying across its path. A ditch above catches this water, and a slight fall in the floor towards the downhill entrance lets any water that gets in run out again. Without this drainage every dugout becomes a puddle.
What really matters
The soil decides everything. Firm, loamy soil holds together: a damp handful can be rolled into a sausage. Sand, gravel, scree and made-up ground, on the other hand, trickle down and collapse most easily – you do not dig there. A test hole one spade deep shows you what to expect and whether water runs in.
Staying shallow is the most important building rule. You dig at most about hip-deep; the room height comes from walls of wood and earth above. That way, in the worst case, there is only a little earth above you. The spoil goes at least one big step away from the edge, because a heap of soil right at the edge pushes the wall inwards and can slide back.
The roof needs thick, sound beams and a thin layer of earth. Below it lies a waterproof layer of bark from already fallen dead wood, laid overlapping like roof tiles, or a tarp. The pitch must be steep enough for water to run off quickly. And high in the roof or in the back wall a vent stays open so that moisture can escape.
Safety: what to watch out for
Collapsing earth walls are among the most dangerous digging accidents, even on building sites with professionals. A buried person often cannot free themselves because the earth presses on chest and legs. So without exception: never dig alone, never under an overhang, never a cave into the wall, never in sand or loose ground. The second person stays outside the pit and can fetch help.
Warning signs are cracks parallel to the edge of the pit, trickling soil, a bulging wall, water seeping out of the wall and creaking or sagging beams. With any of these: get out at once, think afterwards. If someone is buried, call 112 at once (in Austria also 144) and do not dig blindly into a wall that may slide further.
In heavy rain, a flood warning, rising groundwater or movement in the slope, the hut is abandoned. Waterlogged slopes can slide, and a pit fills with water quickly. Whoever leaves a dugout removes the wood and fills the pit – an open pit is a trap for people and animals.
When it makes sense – and when not
A dugout is only worth it for a camp of many weeks in cold, windy terrain, when there are several of you, you have tools and the landowner has given permission. It takes days of work, a lot of wood and experience with lashings and tools. For an emergency of a few days it is the wrong choice.
A debris hut, a lean-to with a fire reflector or a tarp is almost always quicker and safer. A good compromise is the shallow version: only a knee-deep hollow, walls of wood, banked with earth on the outside. Or a lean-to resting against an existing, stable bank – with no pit at all.
Good to know
Half-buried houses are known from many periods and regions: pit houses of the Neolithic and early Middle Ages, earth huts in northern Europe and the sod houses of settlers on the North American prairie, where there was hardly any wood. Military survival manuals describe dug-in shelters mainly for cold regions.
Occupational safety authorities such as the US agency OSHA have clear rules for excavations: slope or shore, spoil at least about 60 centimetres from the edge, daily inspection by a competent person, water as a warning sign. These rules were written for professionals with machines – they apply all the more to lay people in the woods.
Step by step
Check permission and the site
First agree with the landowner that you may dig and build. Then look for a dry, moderately steep slope with firm, loamy soil: a handful of damp soil can be rolled into a sausage and does not fall apart. The site lies well above stream and hollow, with no flood marks (washed-up leaves, mud lines) and no dead trees above. Dig a test hole one spade deep: if water runs in or sand and gravel trickle down, the site is unsuitable.
Caution: Sand, gravel and made-up ground collapse most easily – never dig there.
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Check permission and the site
First agree with the landowner that you may dig and build. Then look for a dry, moderately steep slope with firm, loamy soil: a handful of damp soil can be rolled into a sausage and does not fall apart. The site lies well above stream and hollow, with no flood marks (washed-up leaves, mud lines) and no dead trees above. Dig a test hole one spade deep: if water runs in or sand and gravel trickle down, the site is unsuitable.
Sand, gravel and made-up ground collapse most easily – never dig there.
- 2
Plan small and shallow
Plan only as much space as you need for lying and sitting. Dig at most about hip-deep into the slope; the rest of the height comes from walls of wood and earth above. Mark out the floor plan with sticks. The walls are not vertical but sloped – clearly wider at the top than at the bottom. The spoil goes at least one big step away from the edge of the pit so that it does not press in or slide back.
Digging deeper does not make the hut better, only more dangerous.
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Dig – never alone, never undercut
Dig from the top down in shallow layers, always across the whole area, never one deep hole at a time. One person digs, the other stands outside the pit, watches the walls and can fetch help at once. Never dig under an edge so that an overhang forms. Watch for cracks parallel to the edge, trickling soil and water in the wall. Stop when it rains.
Cracks, trickling or a bulge in the wall: get out of the pit at once.
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Shore the walls
Drive strong posts into the floor of the pit along every wall, about an arm's length apart. Behind the posts lay poles or split logs horizontally one above the other, from the bottom up, and fill the gap to the earth wall with soil. The uphill wall carries the most pressure: put the thickest posts and poles there. At the top a beam connects the posts.
Shore the walls before anyone works or sleeps in the pit for long.
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Build the drainage
Dig a shallow ditch across the slope above the hut that leads rain and slope water down past the left and right of the hut. The floor of the pit gets a slight fall towards the entrance, and the entrance is on the downhill side. That way water that does get in can run out again. Cover the floor with stones or wood and dry material on top.
An entrance on the uphill side fills the hut with water in rain.
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Roof of poles, bark and turf
Lay a thick ridge beam on strong posts, then poles close together from the ridge beam to beyond the edges of the pit so that water runs off. On top comes bark from already fallen dead wood, overlapping from the bottom up like roof tiles, or a tarp. Over that a thin layer of soil or turf with the grass facing up. The roof must be steep enough for water to run off quickly.
Never strip bark from living trees. Keep the earth layer thin – it becomes very heavy when wet.
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Ventilation and entrance
Leave a vent open high in the back wall or in the roof and keep the entrance on the downhill side open or closed only with a curtain. Fresh air comes in low, stale air and moisture leave at the top. Never seal openings completely, even when it is cold. Fire inside the hut only with a real smoke exit and following the entry “Fire inside a hut”.
Without a draught, moisture and – with a fire – carbon monoxide build up.
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Check daily, leave if in danger
Check every day and after every rain: have cracks formed? Do beams sag or creak? Is there water standing in the pit or seeping from the wall? Are posts leaning? Repair at once. In heavy rain, a flood warning, rising groundwater or movement in the slope, leave the hut and go higher. When you leave for good, remove all the wood and fill the pit safely.
An open pit is a trap for people and animals – always fill it in.
Common mistakes
- Digging alone
- Vertical, unsupported walls
- Digging an overhang or a cave into the wall
- Building in sand, gravel or loose ground
- Throwing spoil right at the edge
- Too thick an earth layer on too thin beams
- Entrance on the uphill side, no ditch above
- Stuffing vents shut because of the cold
Quick view
Materials
Small shovel / folding spade
A proper spade is better; for digging and sloping the walls
Sturdy sticks / poles
Many strong, sound poles for shoring, posts and roof
Do not cut live wood where prohibited.
Folding saw
Fold or cover the blade after use; saw teeth are very sharp.
Hatchet or small axe
Only use with a firmly seated head and sound handle; fit the edge guard when not in use.
Rules on carrying and on cutting wood differ by region – check local rules.
Jute or sisal twine (bought)
For lashings on posts and ridge beam
Low strength, absorbs water and rots – light loads and practice only.
Tarp
As a waterproof layer under the earth, if available
Sturdy work gloves
When handling flood mud or chemicals, also wear waterproof gloves.
Suitable for
- Long-term camps of weeks in cold, windy terrain
- Firm, cohesive soil (loam, clay) on a dry slope
- Groups with time, tools and permission
Not suitable for
- Sand, gravel, scree, made-up or loose ground
- Hollows, stream banks, flood plains and places with a high water table
- Slopes with slides, cracks or rockfall
- Short emergencies – a debris hut or tarp is much quicker
- Protected areas and places without permission
Prerequisites
- Written or clear permission from the landowner to dig and build
- At least one other person
- Safe use of saw and hatchet
- Able to tie square and shear lashings
Safety
- Digging and building interferes with someone else's property and with nature. Without the landowner's permission it is forbidden; in protected areas usually entirely. Dismantle it after use and fill the pit safely.
How it works
Earth stores warmth and cold slowly. A room that is half in the ground cools down less at night and heats up less by day, and the wind cannot reach the buried walls. But earth presses on walls and roof with great weight. So: stay shallow, slope and shore the walls, build a load-bearing roof and catch water above the hut and lead it past.
Advantages
- Very good wind protection
- More even temperature than a free-standing hut
- Little material needed for the walls
- Lasts a long time if built well
Disadvantages
- Risk of collapse, water and slides
- A lot of work and tools needed
- Damp if drainage or ventilation are missing
- Almost nowhere permitted without permission
Deep knowledge
Background
Half-buried houses (“pit houses”) are known from many periods and regions, from the Neolithic to the settlers of the prairie. Military survival manuals describe dug-in shelters mainly for cold regions, stressing drainage and ventilation.
Occupational safety rules for excavations show how dangerous earth walls are: they require sloped or shored walls, spoil kept back from the edge and daily inspections. The same principles apply in the woods – only without excavators and experts.
Variants
- Shallow version: walls above ground
- Dig only a knee-deep hollow and build the walls almost entirely of wood, banked with earth on the outside. Less risk of collapse, almost the same wind protection.
- Lean-to against a bank
- Instead of digging, lean a lean-to with its back against an existing, stable bank and seal the sides with earth and leaves. Much less work, no pit.
Common mistakes
- Digging alone
- Vertical, unsupported walls
- Digging an overhang or a cave into the wall
- Building in sand, gravel or loose ground
- Throwing spoil right at the edge
- Too thick an earth layer on too thin beams
- Entrance on the uphill side, no ditch above
- Stuffing vents shut because of the cold
Limits and risks
- No structural design – the strength of beams and walls can only be checked on site
- Nothing on deep pits or tunnels: such work does not belong in lay hands
- Does not replace permission or expert advice
Material alternatives
Derived from material properties: a substitute must have all relevant properties. Observe the notes on the substitute.
- Jute or sisal twine (bought)
- Rope (Never use unknown or damaged rope for life-safety purposes.), Paracord (Not a climbing or safety rope.), Thin twine (Low breaking strength – light loads only.), Accessory cord (Use only certified cord after training for life-safety purposes.), Webbing (tubular webbing) (Inspect knotted webbing before every use.), Tree straps (Load only within the manufacturer's limits.), Monofilament fishing line (Never leave scraps of line behind: birds and other animals get tangled in them and die slowly. Wind up scraps and take them with you.), Thin, soft wire (brass or galvanised steel) (Wire ends are sharp – protect eyes and fingers when bending), Tow rope or tow strap (Attach only to the towing eyes provided by the manufacturer; never stand next to it under load.)
- Tarp
- Plastic sheet / large bin bag (Tears easily; never pull over the head (suffocation risk).), Emergency blanket (Tears easily once punctured; short-term shelter only.), Document folder (waterproof) (Store securely – contains sensitive personal data.), Rain poncho (When used as a shelter, it no longer protects your body from rain.), Bivy bag (Never fully close off the face.), Tent (Do not cook or heat inside the tent (fire and carbon monoxide danger).), Heavy-duty bin bag (large) (Suffocation risk: never pull plastic bags over the head or face and keep them away from small children.), Group shelter bag (Airtight – ventilate regularly.)
Results come exclusively from structured entries. No improvised instructions are generated.
Sources
Headquarters, Department of the Army (USA) (2002): FM 3-05.70 Survival
Shelters in cold terrain, importance of drainage and ventilation
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (2015): Trenching and Excavation Safety (OSHA 2226-10R)
Cave-in hazard of earth walls, sloping and shoring, spoil at least about 2 ft from the edge, daily inspection, water as a warning sign
Mors L. Kochanski – Lone Pine Publishing: Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival
Long-term shelters, roofing with bark and turf
Ray Mears – Hodder & Stoughton (2002): Bushcraft
Choosing the camp site, protection from water and wind