How many calories does hiking burn? This calculator uses the Pandolf load-carriage equation — the research standard — to estimate calories from your body weight, pack weight, distance, climbing, terrain, and pace, costing the uphill and downhill of your route separately.
Science-based estimate using the Pandolf load-carriage equation — factoring pack weight, climbing, descending, terrain & pace.
Where the calories go
How this is calculated
M = 1.5W + 2(W+L)(L/W)² + η(W+L)(1.5V² + 0.35VG), where W = body mass, L = load, V = speed, G = grade. Ascent and descent are costed separately, then converted from watts to calories. Estimates are approximate.How many calories does hiking burn per hour?
Approximate calories burned per hour of hiking with a light (10 lb) day pack at a steady 2.5 mph, by body weight and terrain steepness:
| Body weight | Easy (flat trail) | Moderate (~5% grade) | Strenuous (~10% grade) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 130 lb | 190 | 310 | 460 |
| 160 lb | 230 | 370 | 550 |
| 190 lb | 270 | 440 | 650 |
| 220 lb | 310 | 510 | 750 |
Figures are computed with the same Pandolf equation used by the calculator and rounded to the nearest 10 kcal/hr. Your actual burn varies with pack weight, pace, fitness, and conditions — use the calculator above for a personalized number.
How this calculator works
Most hiking calorie calculators use a crude “MET × weight × time” formula that ignores your pack and your climbing. This tool instead uses the Pandolf equation (Pandolf, Givoni & Goldman, 1977), the model researchers and militaries use for the metabolic cost of walking under load, combined with the Santee correction for downhill walking and standard terrain factors.
The metabolic rate (in watts) is:
M = 1.5W + 2(W+L)(L/W)² + η(W+L)(1.5V² + 0.35VG)
where W is body mass, L is load (pack), V is walking speed, G is grade, and η is the terrain factor. Your elevation gain and loss are split into separate ascent and descent legs — each costed at its own grade — because climbing and descending have very different energy costs and do not cancel out. The result is converted from watts to calories over your moving time.
Terrain factors
| Terrain | Factor (η) |
|---|---|
| Paved road / treadmill | 1.0 |
| Dirt trail / firm path | 1.1 |
| Light brush / uneven trail | 1.2 |
| Heavy brush / rocky scramble | 1.5 |
| Swampy / muddy ground | 1.8 |
| Loose sand | 2.1 |
| Soft snow | 2.5+ |
Fueling your hike
Burning calories on the trail means you need to replace them to keep going strong. On efforts longer than about 90 minutes, aim for 30–60 g of carbohydrate per hour to avoid bonking (hitting the wall). For multi-day trips, planning food around your estimated burn ties directly into your pack base weight — more food means a heavier pack, which in turn burns more calories. See also carb loading, energy gels, and electrolytes.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories do you burn hiking?
It depends on your body weight, pack weight, distance, how much you climb, the terrain, and your pace. As a rough guide, a 160 lb hiker on a moderate trail with a light day pack burns roughly 400–550 calories per hour, rising sharply with a heavier pack and steeper climbing. Enter your own numbers in the calculator above for a personalized estimate using the Pandolf load-carriage equation.
Does carrying a backpack burn more calories?
Yes, significantly — and not by a fixed amount. In the Pandolf equation, load compounds with body weight and terrain, so adding 20 lb to your pack increases calorie burn more on steep or soft ground than on a flat path. A loaded backpacking pack can raise energy expenditure 20–40% or more over the same hike with a light day pack.
How many calories does hiking burn per mile?
On gentle terrain, many hikers burn roughly 80–130 calories per mile, but per-mile burn climbs steeply with elevation gain, pack weight, and rough terrain. Because climbing is far more costly than flat distance, a mile with 500 ft of gain can burn well over double a flat mile. The calculator shows your own per-mile figure.
Does hiking uphill burn more calories than flat ground?
Much more. Climbing requires lifting your body and pack against gravity, so steeper grades raise calorie burn dramatically. Descending costs less than flat walking at moderate grades but rises again on very steep downhills due to the muscular braking your legs do — which is why this calculator costs ascent and descent separately.
How accurate is this hiking calorie calculator?
It uses the Pandolf equation (1977), the research standard for the metabolic cost of load carriage, with the Santee correction for downhill walking and published terrain factors — a far more rigorous approach than the simple 'MET × weight × time' most calculators use. All such estimates are approximate, varying with individual fitness, gait, fatigue, altitude, and conditions, so treat the result as a well-grounded estimate, not an exact measurement.