How to Get the Shovel in Sons of the Forest (Complete Guide)

Key Highlights:

• The shovel is essential for accessing crucial items and areas in Sons of the Forest.
• Acquiring the shovel requires first obtaining the Zipline Rope Gun and Rebreather.
• The item is found in a complex cave system with multiple obstacles and enemies.

The shovel in Sons of the Forest is one of the most essential tools in the game, unlocking access to a variety of crucial items and areas. Whether you’re searching for GPS locators, a shotgun, or even key quest items like the Maintenance keycard, the shovel plays a vital role in your survival and progression.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the detailed process of acquiring the shovel, highlighting its importance and providing step-by-step instructions to help you navigate the complex cave system where it’s hidden. Before you can attempt to retrieve the shovel, you’ll need two critical tools: the Zipline Rope Gun and the Rebreather.

Why the Shovel Is Critical in Sons of the Forest

In Sons of the Forest, your ultimate objective is survival, but progression in the game is deeply tied to exploration. Certain areas of the island, such as underground bunkers and caves, require specific equipment to access. The shovel is necessary to dig up hidden entrances and unlock important items needed to advance the storyline.

For example, if you’re looking for the Maintenance keycard – one of the three keycards essential to completing the game – you won’t be able to proceed without the shovel. Additionally, many consumables, coins, and other important resources are only accessible via buried caches, all of which require the shovel.

Step 1: Acquiring the Zipline Rope Gun

Before you can get your hands on the shovel, your first task is to locate the Zipline Rope Gun. This essential tool allows you to traverse certain gaps and obstacles within caves, giving you access to previously unreachable areas.

• Location: The Rope Gun is found in a cave west of the snowy region in the center of the map.
• Challenges: Inside the cave, you’ll encounter a series of mutants, including a Sluggy, a large creature blocking your path. After dealing with this, you’ll come to a fork in the cave. Take the left path to find the Rope Gun inside a black box.

Once you have the Rope Gun, you’re ready to proceed to the next phase: finding the Rebreather.

Step 2: Acquiring the Rebreather

The Rebreather is another crucial item you’ll need to navigate underwater sections of caves, including the one that contains the shovel.

• Location: Head north from where you found the Rope Gun. You’ll find the Rebreather inside a cave near the beach.
• Challenges: Inside this cave, there are mutants and a shark. After passing a light source pointing to the right, take the left path, which leads to a room filled with water. The Rebreather is at the far end of this room.

With both the Rope Gun and Rebreather in hand, you can now head to the cave containing the shovel.

Step 3: Finding the Shovel

The shovel is located in a cave to the east of where you found the Rope Gun. This cave is easy to spot, as there are three bodies impaled on spikes outside its entrance.

• Cave Entrance: After grabbing a Slingshot from one of the bodies outside, break down the boards blocking the cave entrance and head inside.
• First Obstacle: Upon entering, you’ll find a sheer drop that leads to a pool of water and some Air Tanks. After collecting the items, use the Rope Gun to zipline across the gap.
• Underwater Passage: In the next area, use the Rebreather to dive underwater and follow the tunnel until you surface in a cavern filled with mutants. Be prepared to fight or avoid them as you continue deeper into the cave.

As you progress, you’ll slide down a slope into a large room with cases filled with resources. Stock up on energy drinks, meds, and other supplies before moving forward.

Final Steps: Navigating to the Shovel

After collecting additional resources from nearby crates, continue forward by following the crystals as a guide until you encounter another large room lit by two light sources. This room is home to a number of mutants that you can either fight or avoid. Stick to the left side of the room to find a new path that leads to another pool of water.

• Path to the Shovel: Dive into this pool and swim through the underwater tunnel until you surface in a smaller cavern. Continue straight ahead, and you’ll come across a body holding the shovel, your prize for enduring the cave’s many hazards.

With the shovel now in your possession, you’re free to explore areas that were previously inaccessible. This includes digging up hidden bunkers, finding more advanced weapons like the shotgun, and discovering additional supplies scattered throughout the island. Before that though, we must exit the cave!

How to Exit the Shovel Cave in Sons of the Forest

After obtaining the shovel, the next challenge is finding your way out of the cave. Luckily, escaping is more straightforward than getting in, but there are still some obstacles to overcome. Here’s how to exit the cave once you have the shovel in hand.

Once you’ve collected the shovel, turn around and retrace your steps. You won’t need to return to the original cave entrance. Instead, on your way back, you’ll encounter a Sluggy, a large mutant blocking a new path that leads out of the cave.

How to Deal with the Sluggy

To clear the path, you’ll need to defeat the Sluggy by using explosives such as grenades or crafted bombs. Once the mutant is dealt with, proceed through the now-unblocked path.

This path will eventually lead you to an exit, bringing you out into a different part of the forest than where you originally entered. From here, you can continue your adventure, fully equipped with the coveted item and ready to dig up buried treasures and access more of the island’s secrets.

What’s Next After Getting the Shovel?

Now that you’ve obtained the shovel, your options for exploration and progression expand significantly. Some of the key items you can now access include:

• GPS Locators: These provide valuable navigation and tracking capabilities.
• Maintenance Bunker A: With the Maintenance keycard found in this bunker, you’ll unlock critical sections of the map.
• Shotgun: A powerful weapon that will greatly aid you in defending against the island’s many threats.

Beyond these, the item allows you to uncover a wide variety of buried treasures that will make your survival easier and your journey through Sons of the Forest more efficient.

Obtaining the shovel is an important milestone in Sons of the Forest, and it’s a game-changing tool that gives you access to a host of new areas, items, and quests. By following the steps laid out in this guide, you’ll be well-equipped to tackle the game’s challenges and make significant progress in both the main storyline and your survival efforts.

Whether you’re looking to dig up key items, access hidden caverns, or defend yourself against the island’s many dangers, the shovel is a tool you won’t want to overlook.