Of course. It only makes sense to have a three sided shelter around you, especially in the winter, so why not use dugouts. I'll take the wind/precip protection any day of the year. Instead of setting up the tent for wind/rain protection I can instead use the tent for extra warmth and just lay it right on top of me. It will trap the air and help to keep me warmer when I run into conditions like last July when lows overnight were in the mid to upper 40s and all I had on me was the tent and a fleece blanket. I stayed warm by using the tent without ever setting it up. Having the three sided gives you a lot more flexibility in what you can get away with.