Fallout : New Vegas traps Traps in " " can be found all over the Mojave Wasteland . They are particularly prevalent within the " Dead Money " . Types of traps . Cars and motorcycles . Though not considered a trap in the technical sense , a small number of decaying vehicles can be found around the Mojave Wasteland . These nuclear - powered vehicles , suffering from two centuries of neglect , will catch fire and explode if sufficiently damaged ( around five hits from a plasma rifle will destroy one outright ) . When a vehicle takes enough damage , it will release a small explosion and catch fire , giving the player several seconds to escape . Once that period has elapsed , the vehicle goes up in a much larger and more damaging nuclear explosion , similar in appearance and potency to a . The explosion can be hastened by firing upon the flaming wreck . An exploding car can be deadly to anything nearby . Anything standing on or next to the car will more than likely be killed instantly . In addition , the explosion may set off other nearby cars , potentially without any delay if the damage threshold is achieved . Fortunately , there are a minimal number of locations with multiple , destructible cars left close together , particularly in comparison to the Capital Wasteland . Mine . s are commonly laid in areas occupied by hostile forces . They have a sensor that registers vibration on the ground , and when the vibration exceeds a certain level , it detonates . The length of the fuse is based on the player ' s Explosives skill ; the greater the skill number , the longer the fuse . They require an explosives skill of 1 to disarm , meaning any player can disarm one . They can be picked up after being disarmed . Mines can be shot as well , in order to cause premature detonation . Mines can sometimes be found tucked partly under orange traffic cones , boxes , dead bodies or other objects , making it harder to find and defuse them before they detonate . Followers will trigger mines as well , which can prove troublesome even to a player who has the Light Step perk . If any enemy or follower steps directly on to one there is a chance of them being knocked unconscious or killed instantly ( when in Hardcore mode ) , as the blast could blow their leg off . A craftable variant of mines called a powder charge is commonly found around Powder Ganger camps . They work in the same way as mines , and can be defused and collected in addition to being crafted by the player . Concealed mine . Concealed mines appear as a small raised area resembling a tiny concrete hill . They can be disarmed in the same manner as a regular frag mine , and the player will receive a regular frag mine upon a successful disarming . Unlike with a regular frag mine and more like a trap such as a tripwire , a menu appears that gives the player the option to disarm and collect the mine , or leave it alone . The disarm option requires an Explosives skill of 28 . If the player gets within 16 distance units from the mine , it will explode . Concealed mines cannot be added to a player ' s inventory via the console . Bear trap . Bear traps are a spring - operated pair of spiked jaws that snap shut on the player ' s leg should the pressure pad in the middle be triggered . This can sometimes cripple the limb . A Repair skill of 23 is required to disarm them . Shooting the switch or dropping an object on it also works . Bear traps can be reset , but this requires a Repair skill of 55 . Swing object . Swing objects are simple heavy objects ( often a girder , automotive engine , or rotting brahmin body parts ) chained to the ceiling and held up by a trip wire . When the wire is broken , the object swings down and impacts the player for a moderate amount of damage , especially when the trap deals multiple blows , which often occurs . The trip wire requires a Repair skill of 25 to disarm , or the object itself can be grabbed and manually moved to a safe " down " position without any required skill , or optionally shot . Because of the nature of the trap , it can remain dangerous even after the initial trigger . At certain angles , especially if walked into , it will cause damage , often several times in quick succession . It can also cause damage when manually moved by the grab action . Grenade bouquet . The grenade bouquet is a cluster of three s hung from the ceiling . When triggered , either by simply walking into it , shooting it , or hitting the nearby trip wire / pressure plate , the pins are pulled and the three grenades fall to the ground . They explode after a few seconds . Both the trip wire and the grenades themselves can be disarmed , the latter of which requires an Explosives skill of 30 . Doing the latter adds the three grenades to the player ' s inventory . If the player lacks the required skill to disarm the trap , they may be able to shoot the rope holding up the grenades to make them fall and detonate , safely away from the player . This trap is extremely dangerous , as the combined force of three grenades can be deadly depending on the player ' s proximity to the blast . Even when at a respectable distance or behind cover the grenades can cripple limbs and do decent damage . They make a tell - tale rattle noise when they fall , alerting players if they fail to notice the trap beforehand , but their vector does not appear on the HUD like thrown grenades . Gas leak . Gas leaks are areas which have filled with natural gases that ignite if any sort of combustion occurs within the area of the leak . They are usually found in tunnels and can be visually detected by noting a wavering distortion in the air . When a gas leak is ignited , anything in the immediate vicinity takes a small amount of damage , is set on fire , and is knocked down for a few seconds . This can be particularly dangerous in combat situations if the player is caught in the explosion and the enemy is not . Guns will set off a gas leak if fired within a cloud but not from outside . Energy weapons , such as the , will set off the leak if the shot intersects the cloud at any point . The detonation of any kind of explosive , such as a frag grenade , within the cloud will also set off the leak . Finally , any item with an open flame , such as the , , or , will ignite the gas if it comes into contact with the cloud , regardless of whether or not they are actually fired , since the pilot light used to ignite them is active . Holstering them will prevent this . To safely remove gas leaks , ignite them from a safe distance . Some gas leaks can be removed by taking away their source , this is often a leaking valve . Gas leaks are not very common but occur in a number of places like the kitchen of the Cantina Madrid and the suites in the Sierra Madre Casino in " Dead Money " and Vault 34 of the Mojave Wasteland . Although most traps are man - made , deliberately placed to damage you , this is an exception , unless someone has intentionally cut or smashed a pipe , or simply cranked a valve . A variation of this type of trap is used as an optional component of the quest " There Stands the Grass " . In this instance the Courier is asked to deliberately ignite explosive gas which now fills the entirety of Vault 22 . Unlike standard gas traps , being caught by this trap will kill the player almost immediately . Hologram . - Found in the Sierra Madre . Can be switched off via hologram emitter . Rigged shotgun . The rigged shotgun is a simple but dangerous trap consisting of a single shotgun wired to a pressure plate or a trip wire . When triggered , it fires a single blast at the position of the trigger . A Repair skill of 45 is required to disarm the gun itself . Disarming the gun rewards the player with only one 20 gauge shotgun shell ; the shotgun itself will be removed from the trap , but will not at anytime be added to the player ' s inventory , or anywhere else for that matter . Unlike traps such as grenade bouquets , rigged shotguns can be disarmed after having been triggered . Rigged terminal . Another variation on the deadly ordinary objects theme , rigged computer terminals can be found in certain locations . Attempting to use the terminal triggers the trap , causing a slight electrical shock followed by detonation of the main frag grenade inside . It can be recognized by the antenna on the back and the warped rear panel . The trap can be deactivated by defusing the back panel . Disarming the trap will move the grenade into the player ' s inventory . The terminal can then be rearmed in the same fashion as the previous two examples . Strangely , when you look at the terminal it says " Trapped Terminal " , telling you it ' s a trap . Rigged mailboxes . Although far less common in the Mojave , the rigged mailbox is still a threat . Much like how it performed in " Fallout 3 " , when you approach it , the explosive sequence will start unless you disarm it in time . If you do , you will have the option of leaving it alone , have it explode by putting it on a timer for ten seconds or have it act as a improvised proximity mine . Radios and speakers ( Sierra Madre ) . - Sierra Madre radios that interfere with the explosive collar can be shot or switched off . Speakers were specially shielded to prevent vandalism . Some have broken over time as indicated by their activation light , however , and these damaged speakers can be destroyed . Firing mechanisms and initiating actions . Tripwire . Trip wires are thin , easily broken wires suspended a few inches off the floor , usually just behind doors so players won ' t see the posts it is tied to . Opening the door doesn ' t trigger it . Players with the Light Step perk can walk over them without fear . They require a Repair skill of 22 to disarm . The player must interact with the posts to disarm it , as the wire is intangible . Laser tripwire . Far less common than the low tech variety , laser trip wires follow the same general principle for triggering and avoidance . They can be identified by the narrow beam of light that projects from an wall mounted emitter . The emitter is also the point where it can be disarmed . They are often employed across an entry way . However , they can be set to project at various heights and angles , and even blatantly across a room . In order to hack or disarm a laser tripwire , the Courier needs at least a Repair skill of 50 or a Science skill of 50 . Pressure plate . Pressure plates are weight - activated mechanisms set off when it senses pressure from the player stepping on it , thus triggering the associated trap . Bear traps have built in pressure plates . The Light Step perk will allow players to avoid triggering either variety . Pressure plates require a Repair skill of 25 to disarm . The bear trap version can be triggered with a direct gunshot or an object . Proximity fuse . All mines work on a proximity fuse . The Light Step perk will negate ordinary mine fuses but not the fuses of rigged mailboxes or concealed mines . The only other way to get past it is to disarm the explosive before its timer runs out . Usage . Rigged equipment such as computer terminals are triggered by any attempt to use them . A separate area on the object must be interacted with to disarm it . Behind the scenes . Although the rigged shotgun trap no longer provides a usable weapon when disarmed , as it did in " Fallout 3 " , the change was apparently made somewhat late during development . This is reflected in , among other things , the prevalence of loose 20 gauge hulls in the Villa areas of the Sierra Madre , often placed near rigged shotguns and despite the fact that the player will not normally be carrying any weapons which use that caliber ammunition . Bugs . If a throwing weapon ( such as throwing spear , , etc ) is thrown at an armed bear trap , it results in an explosion .