Hiking Calorie Calculator
Estimate how many calories you'll burn on a hike from your body weight, pack weight, distance and elevation gain.
How many calories do you burn hiking?
On a typical hike you burn roughly 400–700 calories per hour. The exact figure depends on four things: your body weight, the weight of your pack, the distance you cover, and how much you climb. Heavier loads and steeper ascents both raise the number significantly — carrying a 15 kg pack instead of 5 kg can add 10–15% to your hourly burn.
How this calculator works
This tool estimates the energy used moving on the trail. It combines two components:
- Distance: about 0.55 kcal per kilogram of total moving weight (your body + pack) per kilometre.
- Climbing: about 0.01 kcal per kilogram of total weight for every metre of ascent — the energy needed to lift yourself and your pack uphill.
It does not include your resting metabolism. For your total daily calorie need on a multi-day hike, add roughly 1,600–2,000 kcal for a day of basal metabolism on top of the moving figure above.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories does a full day of hiking burn?
A full 6–8 hour hiking day commonly burns 2,500–4,500 calories including resting metabolism, depending on your weight, pack and terrain. Steep alpine days at the top of that range.
Does pack weight really change calorie burn?
Yes. Every extra kilogram on your back increases energy use by roughly 5–8%. It is one of the strongest arguments for cutting your base weight.
Planning a multi-day trip? Map your route, gear weight and trail food together in the free HikeLoad planner.