How can I avoid death traps?

[Wallydraigle]

Well, not so much avoid, since I'll have to be near them to find the treasure, lol, but how can I spot them, and "spring" them, or otherwise be safe around them? I don't want to be finally be so close to the treasure, and then be maimed or worse ( ) because I didn't know what to look for or how to handle a death trap. Thanks.

 

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[RockHopper2]

Good question Wally, there needs to be more discusion on the subject. Kenworthy published a book on death traps that shows the most common types and what to look for. Most are made as dead falls to trap you in the hole. But there is a lot more to learn other than whats in print. RH2

 

[goldguru]

this will help start you in the correct direction.

http://www.treasurehuntersuniversity.com/death.html

 

[Barton]

The traps you speak of are there to protect a cache site. Simply learn to recognize there for what they are and leave them alone.

Usually these traps are easily recognizable as they are made to induce you to dig there. For example there may be a dozen stone faces of people or animals looking at one spot in the ground.

Usually if you sit down at such a trap's will see the warning signs placed there by the builders warning you it is a trap. For example the most common warning signs they placed at a trap are: Lightning Bolt, Snake, Broken Heart, Horse / Horse head, Tombstone, Wolf.

These markers (D. Traps) usually give you exact directions to the cache site / or a map to the cache site---once they are distroyed--and they are destroyed if you trip them / set them off --then you can never read the directions they are giving kind of like burning up a treasure map--once you burned it--it is gone.

Now here is the secret to entering a Spanish Cache site: the entrance--will look like absolutely nothing is there!!

A trap which will ruin you day--will have all kinds of inviting stuff to catch your attention--and get you anxious to dig there. So think fast--and move very slowly--look at your site from all angles and use what is mighty uncommon; your common sense.

Barton

 

[Old Dog]

The traps you speak of are there to protect a cache site. Simply learn to recognize there for what they are and leave them alone.

Usually these traps are easily recognizable as they are made to induce you to dig there. For example there may be a dozen stone faces of people or animals looking at one spot in the ground.

Usually if you sit down at such a trap's will see the warning signs placed there by the builders warning you it is a trap. For example the most common warning signs they placed at a trap are: Lightning Bolt, Snake, Broken Heart, Horse / Horse head, Tombstone, Wolf.

These markers (D. Traps) usually give you exact directions to the cache site / or a map to the cache site---once they are distroyed--and they are destroyed if you trip them / set them off --then you can never read the directions they are giving kind of like burning up a treasure map--once you burned it--it is gone.

Now here is the secret to entering a Spanish Cache site: the entrance--will look like absolutely nothing is there!!

A trap which will ruin you day--will have all kinds of inviting stuff to catch your attention--and get you anxious to dig there. So think fast--and move very slowly--look at your site from all angles and use what is mighty uncommon; your common sense.

Barton

Well said Barton,
If I may add a small hint as well...
The Spanish and the KGC as well used a "keyhole" sign that points to an alternative entrance. learn to recognise these signs and you will learn to bypass the death traps.

Hint...
One shape for a keyhole sign is a spade (like in a deck of cards)

 

[Wallydraigle]

The traps you speak of are there to protect a cache site. Simply learn to recognize there for what they are and leave them alone.

Usually these traps are easily recognizable as they are made to induce you to dig there. For example there may be a dozen stone faces of people or animals looking at one spot in the ground.

Usually if you sit down at such a trap's will see the warning signs placed there by the builders warning you it is a trap. For example the most common warning signs they placed at a trap are: Lightning Bolt, Snake, Broken Heart, Horse / Horse head, Tombstone, Wolf.

These markers (D. Traps) usually give you exact directions to the cache site / or a map to the cache site---once they are distroyed--and they are destroyed if you trip them / set them off --then you can never read the directions they are giving kind of like burning up a treasure map--once you burned it--it is gone.

Now here is the secret to entering a Spanish Cache site: the entrance--will look like absolutely nothing is there!!

A trap which will ruin you day--will have all kinds of inviting stuff to catch your attention--and get you anxious to dig there. So think fast--and move very slowly--look at your site from all angles and use what is mighty uncommon; your common sense.

Barton

Wow, amazing advice! I can feel my life expectancy growing already, lol You must have a lot of experience working around death traps. If you have any "war stories" I'd like to hear about it.

 

[Old Dog]

Wally,
Here is a couple DTs that use different methods of a deadfall idea to achieve the same thing.
Squashing the uneducated.

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,149002.100.html

Post 195 and 208

 

[Shortstack]

Thom,
In your post #195 pix, there is, what appears to be, a large flat slab of darker colored stone standing on edge by the bottom stone of the death trap. Could that be the trigger? It looks like the type of flat stone some symbols could be written on which would entice someone to pull it from the slot. That would allow the large bottom stone to spin clockwise on its vertical axis, allowing the top stone to drop onto that broken heart stone laying flat on the ground next to the piece of cardboard.
This is a WAG, but I'd sure like to know if I'm close to the truth. That is if you've figured out the trigger for real.

 

[Old Dog]

#208 is the cool one.
That particular trap is a trickle trap.
You dig in the wrong place and the sand under the back stone trickles into the hole slowly.
By the time you figure out that the footing is gone from under the back stone ... it is sliding.
pushed down by the top rock it pins you in the hole,
the shift in the top rock allows the side rock to fall in.
The top rock stays on top holding everything in place once again just as it does now, only positioned differently.
With you on the bottom

Very slick actually.

 

[Old Dog]

#195 is the one we call the flipper.
The principal theory behind it is simple.

A very large triangular rock ballanced on one corner with another pivot point off set on top so that the weight is centered on the very top stone of the stack.
Now the stack is a stable entity, it even has caliche between the stones to conceal the fact that they were stacked.
Look at the top of the long stone on the left and notice the stone set on top of it along the edge of the side.
This acts as a counter ballance as well as a projectile. when the flipper goes off it will effectively throw this stone into the gap taking care of the area the flipper misses.

The key stone here is the top of the stack.
Move it and not only are you squashed, but there is no way to retrieve anything from behing the stack.
These guys were diabolicle when they wanted to be.