If you are like me, you don't throw out old camping gear without salvaging anything re-useable. As I built my suspension system, I liked the Marlin Spike Hitch but I didn't really like the idea of using a stick for the toggle. At first my toggles were solid aluminum, salvaged from some IKEA furniture. I immediately didn't like them because they weighed a couple of ounces.

Then I got the bright idea of using the hollow aluminum connecting sections from old fiberglass tent poles. I cut them off the tent poles with a hacksaw, and was so proud of myself for reducing the weight of the toggles.

A couple of hours went by, and I realized that I could reduce the weight even further by making toggles out of the fiberglass pole itself. You can use a hacksaw to cut your toggles and you don't even need to sand the ends since fiberglass cuts so cleanly. So now I have fiberglass toggles that weigh next to nothing.

Ignore this post if you are a "I use a stick for a toggle" guy. If you're an anal-retentive type like me who wants to bring lightweight toggles rather than hunt for them once you get to the campsite, then enjoy! I don't have a scale, but I would guess that fiberglass toggle weighs considerably less than an ounce.