Sorry to bump this yet again (I swear it's the last time); here are the pics of my final Falcon-II set-up:
I have attached a mini-rollypoly and 5" flashlight sheath to one side,
and another mini-rollypoly and a cocoon pouch to the other side. This mini-rollypoly can hold a second nalgene/guyot or other items like a stove and small cook set, snacks, extra gear, or other stuff you happen to pick up on the trail.
The mini-rollypolys are great because when you're not using them, you can fold them up to reduce the profile of the pack:
I followed cssims advice and got a pack of ITW Web Dominators from milspecmonkey. They're great for managing excess webbing, and work much better than the normal clips for securing your bladder tube. Previously, I had been using simple rubberbands to minimize dangling webbing, but these things are so much better and worth the cheap price. It's a relatively minor thing, but I love being able to put the bladder in the pack or remove it without having to remove the bite-valve in order to thread the tube through the little D-ring on the shoulder strap (previously it was the only way to make sure tube stayed on your shoulder strap). Now I can add or remove the bladder from the pack completely without having to mess with the bladder bite-valve; I simply use the Web Dominators to keep the tube in place.
I'm very happy with the way it turned out, and love the added versatility. When cinched down, everything rides close to the back as well, and you don't feel as if you have a bunch of weight pulling the pack outwards and off your back. I liked the dual bottle holders of the pygmy, and with this set-up, I believe I've gained the best of both worlds in regards to bladders and bottles.
Not to drift too much, but I also modified my belt-PSK after seeing my own pictures in this thread. I was simply carrying too much crap (maybe not weight-wise, but visually it was a bit much). So this is the current modified day hike set-up:
After going over my kit and its weaknesses with a good friend of mine, I managed to slim it down to where I eliminated the M1 pouch completely and stored the entire PSK in the empty guyot. Now the belt is lighter (haven't weighed it yet, but I probably dropped at least a pound, maybe two) and less cluttered, while retaining what I believe are the essentials for me at my level of knowledge and experience.
The contents:
-AMK 1 person Heatsheet (Shelter against exposure and rain. Can be used as a tarp, blanket, poncho, or even modified into an emergency bivy with a bit of duct-tape.)
-1 liter Aqua pouch
-10 Micropur Tabs (Should last 3 days at 3L per day, or 10 days at 1L per day. Allows me to get purified water if I am unable to make a fire or provide enough fuel to boil water in a guyot.)
-6 x 600mg Ibuprofen and 6 Loperamide Tablets (To treat inflammation/pain and diarrhea)
-Bandana (Water pre-filter, signal, improvised dressing)
-$20 dollar bill
-Fenix E01 with two spare batteries (battery left out of light until needed, thus the three batteries shown)
-Signal Mirror
-At least 50ft of 80lbs Spider Wire fishing line wrapped around a nail, 4 heavy duty safety pins, and 2 x 2016 spare batteries for Micro Photon in a pill baggie
-Small roll of duct tape
-Gossman Firesteel Striker, Going Gear Misch Metal Rod (with some PJCBs in handle), Spy capsule with more PJCBs (I might want to fill half with PJCBs and half with fatwood shavings, we'll see), and a mini-magbar with hacksaw blade. All on a County Comm Aircraft Mechanic Key Ring (easily unscrewable).
-Translucent cased lighter
-K&M Matchcase with REI Storm-Proof matches (basic compass built into cap), and match strikers in a pill baggie.
-Tea light candle (wrapped in saran wrap to prevent wax from getting everywhere should the PSK get exposed to high temperatures, tied with a small bit of Jute twine that can also be used for tinder)
-Keyring with Fox 40 micro whistle, peanut lighter, and Micro Photon (This keychain sits at the top of the guyot for quick access). I also added a Vic Classic after I had taken this pic, so it's not shown.
So should I get separated from my pack, I think I have the essentials covered with the items in this guyot in additon to the Bravo-1 and Vic OHT that are also on the belt. If I ever do need to use the items in the PSK, I will empty all the contents of the guyot into the second folded-up mini-rollypoly on the belt; that way I can use the guyot to boil water or food (indefinitely if need be). It's a lighter, simpler, and more streamlined PSK than what I previously had, and I'm glad it's evolving. I could further simplify it by dropping the second mini-rollypoly completely, and then just use the mini-rollypoly that holds the guyot to hold all the PSK items when needed. The guyot could be carried on the belt via carabiner, or by the rope that connects the cap to the bottle. But for now, I like having the second mini-rollypoly there as it doesn't add much in terms of weight or volume.
Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoyed the review!
I've never had a better experience than with two wolves, especially when putting stuff together in piece-meal fashion, like I've been doing with this Falcon-II set-up. Definitely give the Falcon a try :thumbup: