MythBusters · Video summary

Could Six Pirates Really Swing From A Bone Cage Into Freedom? | MythBusters

Adam and Jamie from MythBusters tackle a movie myth from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, testing if it's possible for six people to swing a bone cage to a cliff and climb to freedom.

MythBusters · August 19, 2026 · 21-min episode · 1-min read

Could Six Pirates Really Swing From A Bone Cage Into Freedom? | MythBusters

Key takeaways

💪The bone cage needs to be strong enough to hold six people (approx. 1500 lbs) but also light enough to be swung and climbed.01:10
🤸The initial swing tests in the workshop, with just Adam and Jamie, surprisingly show that the cage can be moved with relative ease.03:57
🤢Adam experiences seasickness during the full-scale swing tests, highlighting the physical toll of the experiment.07:04
⚖️To generate momentum, the occupants need to raise and lower the center of gravity of the ball, similar to a child on a swing.08:09
❌Even with six professional trapeze artists, the movie's technique of running side-to-side inside the cage is ineffective and unsafe.11:33
⬆️Shortening the cable length amplifies the change in the center of gravity, making it easier to build up power for swinging.12:52

Chapters

0:00🎬 Introduction to the Bone Cage Myth
1:43🛠️ Designing and Building the Bone Cage
5:17🧪 Initial Swing Tests and Aesthetic Enhancements
8:22🏗️ Setting Up for the Full-Scale Test
10:22🏴‍☠️ First Full-Scale Swing Attempts (Two People)
15:48👥 Enlisting a Crew for More Mass
18:17🤸 Full Crew Swing Attempts (Six People)
19:04📏 Refining the Swinging Technique and Shortening the Cable
23:42💥 The Swing Myth: Busted
24:00🧗 Testing the Cling and Climb
30:13✅ The Climb Myth: Plausible
33:25🏆 Conclusion: Swing Busted, Cling and Climb Plausible

The digest

The MythBusters, Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, embark on a swashbuckling adventure to test a daring escape sequence from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. The myth in question involves Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew, imprisoned in a bone cage, using their collective body weight to swing the cage to a cliff face, latch on, and then climb to freedom. The challenge for Adam and Jamie is to determine if the physics of such a feat check out, and if enough momentum can truly be generated to make such an escape possible.

Designing the Bone Cage

The first order of business is to construct a bone cage that is both strong enough to hold six adults and light enough to be swung and climbed. Adam and Jamie begin by discussing the design, aiming for a structure that can support approximately 1500 pounds. They decide on a pumpkin-inspired steel frame, which should provide the necessary sturdiness. The initial design involves bending and welding eight steel struts to form a giant, pumpkin-like globe. This sphere, while initially flimsy, is reinforced through triangulation, creating an organic geodesic dome that is robust and engineered to prevent failure. The construction method utilizes lightweight, thin-wall steel tubes and washers at each apex, ensuring the cage is super strong yet as light as possible, a crucial balance for the later climbing phase.