Non-explosive Booby Traps
The purpose of non-explosive booby traps were to harm soldiers. While explosive booby traps had that same effect, the non-explosive ones were much cheaper to make. The most common form of non-exploding booby trap in Vietnam was the Punji trap. It came in many variations but the basic elements were the same. Each trap consisted of barbed nails or rods hammered into a board.
Punji Variations:
Pictured to the left is the Side-Closing Punji Trap. It was the most basic trap due to its minimal cost. A small hole would be dug in the ground and the nail board would be placed inside. Then the whole thing would be covered in leaf litter. When an unsuspecting soldier would walk on it, it would impale his foot from multiple angles.
Other variations of the Punji include the Spike Board. When a soldier stepped on the wooden end of this seesaw-like creation, the spiked end would fly up and hit him in the face or chest.
Mace Trap
The Mace Trap consisted of a concrete ball with spikes or a spiked log. It would hang from a tree, and when triggered by a trip wire, would swing down and impale a soldier.