Sons of the Forest Shovel Location | How to get the Rope Gun for the Shovel
You can’t dig without a shovel, apparently!
When you first arrive on the enigmatic island of Sons of the Forest, there isn’t too much for you to work with or go off. That’s the beauty of it all, really; you’re completely left to your own devices to try and survive out here.
If you approach the purple markers on your GPS Locator, you’ll soon find yourself approaching some unmarked graves… creepy, to say the least.
Now, it will come to light that you need a shovel to actually interact with the graves, but Sons of the Forest isn’t kind enough to leave one lying around for you. In this guide, we explain how to get the Rope Gun and Shovel in Sons of the Forest.
- How do I get a Shovel in Sons of the Forest?
- Where to find the Rebreather in Sons of the Forest
- Where to find the Rope Gun in Sons of the Forest
- How to dig up a grave in Sons of the Forest
How do I get a Shovel in Sons of the Forest?
To find a shovel in Sons of the Forest you first need to find two other items: the Rebreather and the Rope Gun.
This isn't a simple task and will take you through a series of dangerous caves which you will need to explore thoroughly before you can start digging.
Your first destination is the north-most beach on the island, but that's only the part of tracking down a shovel.
Where to find the Rebreather in Sons of the Forest
When you first arrive in Sons of the Forest, the first cave you should venture into is on the north-most beach, marked on the below map. If you spawned on the beach, it'll be right beside you. Enter the cave, taking care of the mutants, and explore away.
The Rebreather can be found beside a couple of dead bodies on the floor at the end of this cave, alongside an Air Tank. Once you've got it, you can actually dive underwater and through the cave; this'll then dump you out in the ocean!
Where to find the Rope Gun in Sons of the Forest
Up next, you’ll need to find the Rope Gun (also referred to as the Zipline Gun) in Sons of the Forest. The secret cave that has the 3D Printer within it is the direction we need to go in, but rather than entering that cave, we need to enter the one closest to it, marked below.
Now, to actually make our way through this cave and explore it thoroughly, we will need a Time Bomb for this; there'll be one on the floor in the cave where we need it, so don't worry about crafting one in advance.
If you want, though, you can craft a Time Bomb using C4 Brick, Duct Tape, Wire, Circuit Board, a Watch, and 5x Coins, which are items you can collect from looting the crash site and other campsites.
Once the bomb is crafted, place it on the large blob - the Sluggy - that blocks your way into the cave and detonate it.
Continue through the cave, and take caution of the mutants here. Keep following the path to the best of your ability, using flares to light the way, and you’ll find the Rope Gun at the very end of the cave, coincidentally right before a rope that requires you use it.
Next up, we can finally go and get the shovel. We want to make our way to the base of the mountains and enter the cave marked on the map below. This cave is inaccessible without having the Rebreather and Rope Gun first, and is marked on the below map!
Enter this cave and use the Rope Gun to manoeuvre across the rope, to the other side of the cave. Swim around the water here and begin exploring; sooner or later, you’ll find the shovel, and can now use it to go ahead and dig things up around the island.
How to dig up a grave in Sons of the Forest
Once you've got the shovel, you can then dig various points of interest around your maps. Simply equip the tool, look down at where you want to dig, and press 'E' to dig away.
You'll be able to dig up at grave sites, and at the green glowing areas marked on your map. You might find key items, such as weapons and Keycards, so it's well worth putting the shovel to good use and exploring further.
For more on Sons of the Forest, take a look at our guides hub!