A quick review on some gear I used for the first time last week on a trip:

Figure 9 carabiner
I give these a solid 10. We used these to put up tarps and hanging lines and didn't have to tie a single knot. It cut the tarp setup time by about 70% and adjusting them was a breeze. We used the large size for the heavy duty rope we used for the center line and the medium size ones for the corner tie-downs. My brother-in-law (from a very rainy area and does a lot of camping) bought 20 of them when we got back.

Basketball net anchor bag.
I give this about an 8 out of 10 - about the only reason I didn't rate it higher is because it doesn't dry out as easily as the plastic mesh anchor bag we have.

Fish Grip
I give this about a 7.
We didn't get to use it much - it worked well but was a little awkward to get used to and isn't as quick as a net.

Thanks for the review on the figure 9's.

Do you have any pics of the Figure 9s? Are they really $6 each?

BWPaddler,

REI apparently carries them REI Figure 9 carabiner

$4/piece, but no shipping if you go to them. spendy little gadgets, but looks very worth it.

in use

Nite Ize

butthead

I love those Nite Ize figure nine rope/cord tighteners. I use them for hanging a ridgeline on the Hammock, tie off the food bag, tie off the canoe anchor rope. I have all the sizes.

Odd - the first link shows 150 pound limit and the rei link only 50. Per pound the $6 ones look better except on the manufacture's siet there are two sizes - 50 and 150. And google it and you might find one of them (small?) for $2 or less.

Different sizes and capacities.

bh

The small $2 ones don't have a clip but rather a small hole in one end (so you tie them off somehow).