Halka 55

Took this on a weeklong alpine climbing trip to the Pacific Northwest which consisted of multi-day climbs of Mount Baker and Mt Shuksan. It was the perfect size and comfortably held my 50lbs of gear and food for the approaches. The pack straps did a great job compressing the pack for summit day and taking the brain off helped reduce weight and further compressed the pack down.

The compressed pack sat nicely on my harness when climbing 5th class terrain. It felt like a small summit pack once base camp materials were out of it and compressed down. The materials are super durable and I expect it to last many years.

While this is a minimalist pack, the few extras are very nicely thought through. The crampon and ice axe holders did a great job securing these tools and the waist belt pouch fit my phone and sunblock for easy access.

My only suggestion for improvement is the small storage section in the brain could have been bigger. For some reason, the small pouch does not extend across the entire brain of the pouch, which unnecessarily reduces the size of this easy to access storage space.

Overall, I would highly recommend this pack for alpine / mountaineering trips!

After putting the Halka 55 through its paces in Hawaii's mountainous terrain, I'm impressed with this pack's performance, even if it's not quite designed for my tropical environment.

The Good

The standout feature is undoubtedly the strap system. Hyperlite's approach to adjustability is exceptional - I can make micro-adjustments on the fly to dial in the perfect carry, which is crucial when you're hauling 35-40 lbs of climbing and camera gear through Hawaii's mesic to wet forests. Coming from my Hyperlite Southwest (which I love but found too small for full loads), the Halka's capacity hits the sweet spot for my mountaineering needs while maintaining that same excellent Hyperlite strap system I've come to rely on.

The Southwest remains perfect for scouting missions and lighter loads, but when I need to carry a full complement of gear, the Halka 55 delivers. The build quality lives up to Hyperlite's reputation, and even though I've only completed one major outing with it so far, the pack feels great and ready for serious use.

Room for Improvement

My main gripe is the hydration setup - or lack thereof. The pack doesn't have dedicated mesh pockets or routing holes for hydration hose management. I understand this is designed as a high-altitude alpine pack where O2 bottles might be preferred over H20 bladders (freeze protection), but for warm-weather mountaineering in humid forest environments, better hydration integration would be a game-changer.

Bottom Line

Despite the hydration…

The Halka 55 is perfect for winter adventures with a full set of gear.. I was a bit nervous purchasing such an expensive back pack without trying it on in a store, but was really happy to say that this is probably the most comfortable back pack I’ve ever owned over the 30 miles of terrain with 35lbs of load that it travelled this past weekend.

The many tie in points on the outside make nearly infinite configurations on how you can store your gear. The molded back frame hugs the shape of your back so well and allows for good freedom of movement. Just a great pack and the construction appears to be just sturdy, so this should last for many years to come.

The one challenge over this past weekends adventures was water. I need to find a better system for quick water access. I have a 2L hydra pack strapped to the outside, but it took taking off my pack to get a drink, which is not ideal for moving quickly or staying hydrated. That is not a criticism, just a problem to be solved.

Amazing backcountry backpack.