Water avoidance

So I was thinking about shelters and their resistance to water. I want to build a scout pit sometime, but I'm unsure if it'll fill up with water if it rains. A scout pit is a hole dug in the ground and then you lay branches across it and bury it in the dirt. You could alternatively cover it with a tarp. I'm afraid that it would fill up with a good rain. Does anyone know about this?
Secondly if there was a problem with flooding in a shelter area could you dig out a hole, and then lay sticks across the top of the hole to create a water pit under you so you stay dry? I'm really unsure how easily an area will flood into your shelter, even flat ground. To be safe I sometimes dig a drainage trench.

_________________

I was concerned about water when I first heard of the scout pit too, but the way you build it, you dont have to worry about it as much. after your hole is dug, you cover it with branches and debris and then cover those and the surrounding area with the dirt you removed from the hole. This creates a sort of hill on top which for rain and such will spread out the water and make the water flow around the shelter. Also, you are laying on a layer of debris inside the shelter so even if the ground gets damp, you stay dry.
But as with all shelters, location is everything, with this shelter type, you must be aware of where the annual flood areas are, how high the water table gets and don't build in natural depressions and such. Hope this helps Smile

_________________
We only have one Earth, take care of her and she will take care of you. ~ probably someone else