Good stuff, Jim!
The CAMP Nano 23 is only for holding one suspension line of my hammock to make 1) a truckers hitch and 2) a place to clip my pack/shoes/etc. It will be holding a load maybe 1/10th it's rated limit. Having a carabiner or two in the pack ain't a bad idea either.
I've got beeners of various kinds for SAR work, mostly screw gate. I've used them for water work. Use them for my sailboat too...a meunters hitch as a jibe boom brake works really well.
I was just taken for surprise that a 23 gram aluminum hook could hold that much shock/weight! Also, comparing other wire gate beeners (i like your spelling), the designs are very different, especially with the spines. Some are "I" beam shaped, some are elliptical like the CAMP product.
So....what makes CAMP junk? What should I be looking for, quality wise? All my other beeners and descenders are BD and Petzl. CAMP makes the lightest of all.