Want new Peak, but which one?

[Buffalohump]

Hey guys,

I am getting that old itch again and I'm pretty sure I want a new Peak.

I have a Matterhorn 3 LED in HA and a Carribbean in brass, so I'd like to get something in stainless steel, just for fun.

But which one? I like the output of the Carribbean and the size is handy, so maybe a Glacier Bay, for a little more runtime. Or a McKinley perhaps?

Or a Pacifics, in AA? With a AAA body to follow?

Whaddaya think chaps?

 

[22hornet]

I think the McKinley HP would nicely fill the gap. With the momentary switch I think it's a very able edc flashlight.

Kind regards,
Joris

 

[h_nu]

Five of my Peaks are HA. The only one I have in stainless is the Baltic. Larger lights in stainless might seem a little heavy. Since you already have a Matterhorn, maybe a Pacific so you can use AA.

 

[arty]

I like the Pacific - I have two in brass. One is an ultra with a CR2 pocket body, and I have a HP with AA pocket body. I carry the ultra whenever I wear jeans, and that is a lot of the time. It is actually smaller than the McKinley pocket version.

The HP has very similar output to the McKinleyHP, but the ultra is obvously brighter than the others with the CR2 body. I highly recommend the Pacific.

 

[Buffalohump]

Yah, its a tough decision, aint it?

I would say though, that I like a fair bit of throw over flood light, so which would do better in that regard?

Also, where do you get your Peak stuff from? I ordered direct from them the last time, but I was thinking I could maybe do better as a CPF member somewhere...

 

[NutSAK]

Check out RMSK. They have some good specials going. You may want to turn off your sound before you become annoyed.

I suggest that you buy either a McKinley, Pacific. Since you have the Caribbean, skip the Glacier Bay and buy something different, unless you just want better runtime. There's an old style, hi-power SS McKinley in the specials section for $39.95.

I don't think the Pacific is sold in SS, though. Bummer.

 

[arty]

If you want throw, get a Pacific in ultra power. The HP Pacific is not going to be that much better than the McKinley. I have 2 McKinley's (an old style brass from RMSK) and 2 Pacifics to compare. The Pacifics both came from Peak directly.

The Peak ultra has pretty good throw for a small light, with a bright and useful spill. I think that this level of lighting more than makes up for the shorter runtime than you can get with the HP. I use the Pacific ultra intermittently, but carry it most of the time. I am still on the original CR2 battery after a few months. It still gets close to 400 cp, while the HP with AA gets about half of that.

 

[Buffalohump]

I'm thinking I should go for a AA light, as this is one power source I don't have currently in my set-up. I was thinking a Fenix L1T for a time there, but I really like Peak's stuff.

Most of my lights run off CR123s but in an emergency, it may well be good to have a good solid light that will run off AAs. A CR2 is also a fairly scarce commodity around here. I think I will take runtime over output though, if I had to choose. I would imagine the HP is the better option then?

Unfortunately RMSK don't ship outside of the States. I will go through Peak themselves. Spyder Tactical Supply used to do them, but he has gone out of business, more's the pity as he offered a good discount to forum members.

NutSAK I believe the Pacific is now available in SS. I will check that though.

 

[NutSAK]

Cool. Let us know what you find out about the Pacific SS bodies.

Having a AA light for emergencies is definitely a good thing. The Pacific is a wonderful, versatile light and the HP version will run on 1 lithium AA for 12 hours in perfect regulation. If you're familiar with Fenix's stuff, the HP Pacific on 1AAA or 1AA is nearly identical in output and throw to a L1T or L2T on low. It's noticeably brighter on 2AAA or CR2.

I highly recommend the 1AA and 2AAA bodies for the Pacific.

 

[Buffalohump]

Groovy... the only thing is the new Peak site doesn't seem to show where you can order the extra bits and bobs, like the bodies and the momentary switches, etc.

Do you have to mail them and request they add the stuff to the order or what?

I think I preferred the old site, to be honest...

UPDATE: OK, my info was wrong, it appears there is no SS version of the Pacific, at least not on Peak's website. There is, however, the Kino Bay, which is a AA light. Anyone familiar with this model? Comparisons to Fenix, Jetbeam, et al? Bear in mind I am willing to sacrifice output and five modes for the ultra-cool SS finish. But I like a decent amount of light for a decent amount of time. To give you an idea, I find the HDS 42 to have the ideal amount of light for most purposes.

 

[arty]

How to order?

I wondered how to place orders. On the old site, you can order lots of bodies and stuff online.

I have called to order in the past. I wonder if you can place an order for stuff using the custom order link on the site? I also wonder if any prices have changes since the old site went down.

Does anyone know if the 2006 pricelist is current (aside from what is on the site)?

 

[paulr]

Pfui, I can't access the Peak site any more because I don't (and won't) use the Flash plug-in. Guess I can't buy any more Peak lights. :shrug:

 

[NutSAK]

There are lots of available options. You need to call them. The website has always been lacking to some extent, and right now they're in the middle of a website redesign. If you refuse to use Flash, then you're in the same boat.

Here is the contact info.

 

[Buffalohump]

Brother, calling the US is not an option for me (check my location). It would end up doubling the cost of the light. I will mail them. Robyn I'm sure will help me out. Any comments on the Kino Bay anyone? I see the HP version offers the same amount of output as the McKinley, but its quite a bit pricier. Not sure why. Pity their is no SS version of the Pacific, although I don't really need the AAA body. I suppose you can just order the head and the AA body, correct?

 

[NutSAK]

Sorry about that. I forget to look at locations and "assume" too much. Peak has always offered products that don't show on their website, like double-ender bodies and such.

The Kino Bay is a good light, but I would recommend the Pacific over it. The regulation is much better on the Pacific (check out the graphs on Flashlightreviews). I have a Kino Bay and a HP Pacific, and there's really a negligible difference in brightness. The Kino Bay may have a brightness advantage with a fresh battery, but the Pacific will overcome it in a very short time due to the better regulation. If I were to buy a Pacific again, I would buy the Ultra version with a AA body.

 

[Buffalohump]

OK, you've sold me. Now... where the heck can I get that in stainless steel? : )

 

[Buffalohump]

Newsflash: Apparently the Pacific IS available in Stainless Steel, but only in the AA and CR2 bodies, so that's lucky for me! I'll keep you all posted as to events...