Hiking Calorie Calculator

Estimate how many calories you’ll burn each day on a hiking or backpacking trip, and how much food and water to carry to cover it.

How it works

• Hiking calories come from the Pandolf load carriage equation, which estimates the power it takes to walk from your body weight, pack weight, speed, terrain and grade. Grade is your daily elevation gain spread over your daily distance; downhill sections count as flat.
• Time hiking is your daily distance at the chosen pace.
• Rest of day covers the remaining hours at your resting metabolic rate from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, times 1.2 for light activity around camp. A very muscular build adds 10%.
• Conditions: cold weather adds 10% for staying warm, hot weather adds 5% for staying cool, and spending most of the trip above 10,000 ft adds 5%. These and the optional safety margin apply to the whole day.
• Food weight assumes 130 kcal per ounce (4.6 kcal per gram), typical of calorie-dense backpacking food.
• Macros split calories 50% carbs, 30% fat and 20% protein, at 4 kcal/g for carbs and protein and 9 kcal/g for fat.
• Water assumes half a liter per hour of hiking (50% more in hot weather, 25% more on rocky, sandy or boggy terrain), plus 1.5 liters around camp. Drink to thirst and carry more where water is scarce.

These are estimates. Everyone burns calories differently, so treat the numbers as a starting point and adjust for how your body responds on the trail.