Nite Ize  Figure 9 Carabiner Rope Tightener with 3.5 mm Cord - Package of 2

So, this product works fine, but do you really need it? I bought two on a whim a couple of years ago, and have used them very infrequently. On the other hand, I have used real, live knots numerous times in the same period. If you're simply trying to impress friends with your new gee-gaw, well, maybe, but relying on this product instead of basic knot-tying skills can be a problem. What if you neglect to bring it? If you have skills, you can always tie a knot. Better than buying this, buy a book on knots and practice until you feel comfortable. The resulting knowledge will be a much better purchase in the long run, and you can amaze your friends with your newly acquired skill set.

You're in your hammock. It's raining. It's the middle of the night. You're rain fly is starting to droop. You have to get out and tension the rain fly. Yes, you know your knots, but why would you want to fiddle with knots in the middle of the night while in your skivvies in the pouring down rain? Unwrap, tension, wrap and done. Just sayin.

This is such a great piece of equipment to carry with you while backpacking or camping or even just to use in your own backyard. These seem useful for everyone, even people who have knot tying skills. There are many ways to use these carabiners making them very versatile. The packaging I received had images of all the ways you could use these carabiners with the rope so that was handy when I was first using the gear.

While the Nite Ize Figure 9 Carabiner Rope Tightener does what it purports to do, it's a completely unneccesary piece of equipment. Seriously. Take a few minutes and learn a few basic knots. A tautline hitch will do exactly the same thing and it weighs nothing and costs nothing. Also, you can tie a tautline hitch anywhere, anytime w/o the assistance of high-tech gear. Besides, excess use of this carabiner wears on your rope. I wouldn't hesitate to spend money (even big money, at times) on gear that makes my life in the woods easier. But there is no substitute for having basic skills.

Sure, you could buy some line & tie a good knot. But for quickly securing something (Rain Fly, tarp, etc), releasing it, and doing it again another time, the convenience of this is worth it. I use it to tie down the tarp on my deck furniture in the Sierra - it holds thru rain & storms, but is easy to remove when I want to sit. Well worth it.

I bought these for the versatility and convenience. I figure I can secure food and some gear from bears, lash things to trees, tie down extra gear to my pack or to tie a rain flap down in case something breaks. The commenter above is correct in that this is no substitution for learning proper knot tying, but there are plenty of reasons to use this equipment.

Can never have too much line while camping! This 2 pk with caribiners is a nice addition to the camp pack. The self locking carabiners are nicely designed and work well. Quality seems good, def for the price.

These weigh virtually nothing, and work like a champ. While as an experienced mountaineer and sailor I DO know a tone of knots, there is nothing easier than throwing one of these on a line to quickly secure a bear line or any other tension line in camp. I also use them to secure my tarp on my trailer when "covering my load".

Simple to use, hold tension on rope/parachord well. As advertised.

I use two of these to secure my hammock when I go camping. It saves me so much hassle with getting the ends secured evenly. It only takes me about five minutes to set up now since I don't have to fuss with constantly tying and untying knots.