I finally decided to sling my stony bottle rather than backmount it and I won't go back here's why.

[LI-er]

Move up to a 40 cubic foot tank and you won't have the weight problem anymore

Too big to travel with. Even my 30 cf isn't wet all that often. As I don't ever do more than light DECO I've calculated my 19cf to be more than adequate for my diving style.

 

[tursiops]

The OP insists on calling it a stony bottle, for no good reason except perhaps to confuse or to irritate.

For clarity, the pony is an emergency use bottle for when the main gas supply become unavailable. How it is caried does not change its name. A slung pony is popular, of course.
If that bottle is part of the gas plan, and meant to be carried, it is simply a slung (or whatever) pony bottle.
If it is intended to be dropped and left for later use, as in "staged" then it is a stage bottle; slinging is likely.
If it is intended to carry deco gas, then it is part of the gas plan and is a deco bottle; slinging is likely.
By definition, it cannot be both a pony (not part of the gas plan, for emergnecy use) and a stage (part of he gas plan), so "stony" is a non-sequitur.

I know this discussion has been held before, but it still seems that only the OP wishes to hold to this unnecessary and uncompelling and verging on silly use of "stony."

 

[Edward3c]

I’ve had my pony side slung since I bought it 20 years ago, but I do dive with it open. If I get a leak I get it sorted, not continue to dive it, the same as my main rig.

As for using it to expend a dive, never. It not in my gas management plan. I do, occasionally, plan to bail out to it at 30/35m, but that’s the end of the dive and the plan.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

Glad that your happy with what works best for you! Dive and let dive!

 

[LI-er]

The OP insists on calling it a stony bottle, for no good reason except perhaps to confuse or to irritate.

You must be fun at parties.