Helly Hansen 45L Resistor Backpack Recco review: Winter-ready and robust

With my Helly Hansen 45L Resistor Backpack Recco reliably storing all of my gear – spare waterproofs, warm layers, snacks, water, my camera and a load of kit for a night under the stars at a fjord-side campsite – a recent hiking trip to Norway proved an excellent way to test out this hiking backpack.

Since 1877, when Captain Helly Juell Hansen started producing waterproof oilskin jackets designed to withstand the wildest of Norwegian weather, the brand Helly Hansen has built its reputation on one key promise – that its kit is tested and approved by professionals, and designed to help you both stay and feel alive.

With that in mind, what better way could there be to test out some of Helly Hansen’s kit than joining mountaineering guides and rescue professionals on an ascent of a far-flung, rugged Norwegian summit?

That’s exactly how I put the Helly Hansen 45L Resistor Backpack Recco through its paces – a perfect testing ground for equipment designed for the gnarly end of the adventure spectrum.

It was also a great way to partake in Helly Hansen’s Open Mountain Month, an annual initiative every June that encourages people of all ages and experience levels to explore the great outdoors.

In Osterøy – a verdant, remote island to the north-east of Bergen – it felt a thousand miles from the usual tourist trail. Mountains soared out of the waters, as if carved by the hand of Odin himself, and above it all the sun shone in a cloudless sky – a miraculous stroke of good luck.

While there, we took on a rugged 9.6km route to the summit of Bruviknipa, a shapely 822m peak towering above Sørfjorden fjord, and I’ve since been using the pack for a few weeks back home in the UK, too.

With that, here’s my full assessment of the Helly Hansen 45L Resistor Backpack Recco.

Back system: Panel, frame and harness

The Helly Hansen Resistor Backpack Recco feels reassuringly solid and built to haul serious loads. On my hikes – including a full-day ascent of Bruviknipa (822m) in western Norway – I found the carrying experience stable, supportive and surprisingly comfortable, even with a heavier winter load.

It felt pretty robust overall. Yes, it’s a bit on the heavy and chunky side, but that heft translates into load-bearing confidence rather than clumsiness.

At the heart of the carry system is a 3D wire frame – an internal, rectangular-shaped metallic structure that gives the pack its rigidity and support. This underpins a perforated EVA foam back panel covered with breathable mesh.

Compared to some other packs, this back system feels softer and more flexible, contouring more naturally to the body. It avoids that rigid, flat-backed feel that can sometimes polarise opinion. Ventilation, too, is surprisingly good – not as airy as a suspended mesh back, but definitely more breathable than expected for a pack of this style.

The shoulder straps are well designed, with a contoured shape that hugs the shoulders comfortably and a generous amount of thick padding to distribute weight. But it’s the hipbelt that really stands out: pre-curved, substantial and chunky, it wraps around the body effectively and provides excellent support.

It grips well without slipping, even on steep or uneven terrain, and helps lock the load in place. The addition of zipped hipbelt pockets is a practical touch, great for keeping hiking snacks or essentials easily accessible.

Back length and sizing

The Helly Hansen Resistor Backpack Recco is available in just one size and the back system is non-adjustable – what you see is what you get. There’s no sliding harness or custom fit options here, so it’s a case of it either fitting you well or not at all.

That said, the pack is designed as a unisex model and, for most people of average height and build, it should sit fairly comfortably. I'm 178cm tall with a slim build and a 43cm torso length (measured from the iliac crest to the C7 vertebra), and I found the fit to be just right.

By the tape measure, the back panel comes in at around 56cm long, which makes the overall pack quite tall. While that adds to its carrying capacity and support, it could feel a touch oversized for shorter users.

Helly Hansen states that the pack is suitable for users with a torso length of 17.5-18 inches (44.5-46cm), which is a rather narrow window. If you’re outside of these measurements, it might be wise to look elsewhere.

Volume, shape and weight

With a 45-litre capacity, the Helly Hansen Resistor Backpack Recco hits a bit of a goldilocks sweet spot - big enough to handle a range of outdoor missions, but not so large that it becomes unwieldy. For a spacious day hike? Tick. An overnight wild camp with a streamlined kit list? Tick. A winter hill day with crampons, ice axe and extra layers? Tick. The shape is conventional but well thought out, with a nicely balanced profile in terms of height, width and depth.

There’s nothing radical going on here, but that’s not a bad thing – it avoids the extremes of being overly chunky or aggressively minimalist. In terms of weight, it tips the scales at 1,495g. That’s in the same ballpark as other fully-featured alpine-style packs, like the Gregory Targhee FT 45 (which I’ve also tested), weighing in at 1,330g.

Still, there’s no denying this pack is on the heftier side, which might be a turn-off for committed ultralight hikers who count every gram. But for those prioritising durability and functionality over featherweight minimalism, the extra grams may be a price worth paying.

Features: Lid, straps, pockets and weather protection

The Resistor Backpack is an impressively fully-featured pack, clearly designed with serious mountain use in mind. It’s packed with thoughtful design touches that aim to make life easier when you’re out in the hills – especially in more demanding, cold-weather environments.

Winter-ready functionality is a real strong point. One of the standout safety features is the integrated RECCO Advanced Rescue Technology reflector, discreetly built into the pack (sewn onto lid). This isn’t a GPS device or personal locator beacon, but it does make you searchable to mountain rescue teams using RECCO detectors, which are increasingly common at ski resorts and in alpine rescue units.

It’s passive, requires no power and adds an extra layer of security for backcountry use – particularly reassuring on snowy or remote winter hikes.

Beyond that, the pack offers a robust set of technical features. There’s a fixed, sewn-in top lid with a large-volume main pocket, a flat security compartment with a key clip underneath and an under-lid rope compression strap – a great touch for climbers or mountaineers.

The spindrift collar allows for overpacking and helps keep snow and rain out, while the hydration sleeve with internal hanger loop ensures easy compatibility with a bladder system. Access to the main compartment is via the top, through the spindrift collar.

External storage is equally versatile, with an expandable front stuff pocket, a front accessory pocket with water-resistant zipper and two side mesh pockets for quick access to water bottles or snacks. There are dual ice axe or hiking pole attachment loops, a webbing daisy chain on the front and lid, and side compression straps to keep everything secure. Glove-friendly zipper pulls are a welcome touch in cold weather.

For carrying comfort, the pack features a 3D wire frame that supports efficient load transfer, along with a fully adjustable harness system, sternum strap with whistle and perforated EVA foam on the back panel, shoulder straps and hipbelt– all covered in 3D airmesh for breathability.

Two zippered hipbelt pockets provide additional storage for small essentials on the move. The reinforced bottom panel adds durability, and the webbing carry handle is handy for chucking the pack in the car or lifting it in and out of huts.

All in, this is a very well-appointed pack that’s more than capable of handling demanding conditions, particularly in winter. If you appreciate the convenience of a feature-rich design – and don’t mind a bit of extra weight – there’s a lot to like here.

Verdict

The Helly Hansen 45L Resistor Backpack Recco is a fully-featured, well-designed backpack suitable for year-round use – but it’s quite heavy and expensive.

About the author

James Forrest writes regular features and route guides for Trail and LFTO, and has been one of our main gear testers for the last few years. James is based on the edge of the Lake District so when he isn’t off on his latest crazy adventure or challenge, he’s walking in his local fells.