Hiking Calorie Calculator
Based on the US Army's Pandolf load-carriage equation and its terrain corrections - the same math behind military march planning. It returns metabolic power while walking and the calories for your day.
Result
- Calories per hour
- 406 kcal/h
- Metabolic power while hiking
- 472 W
- Moving time
- 3.6 hours
Gradient is derived from your elevation gain over the distance; descents are not credited.
How the calculation works
The calculator evaluates the Pandolf equation for your day, then converts power to food:
W is body mass, L the carried load, V walking speed, G the gradient in percent and η the terrain factor (paved 1.0 through snow 1.7). The gradient is derived from your elevation gain over distance and capped at 30%. Power in watts converts to kcal at 0.8604 kcal per watt-hour and multiplies by your hours on trail.
The physiology behind the terms, and why the load term punishes heavy packs quadratically, is unpacked in the backpacking food planning guide. For what the burn means at the stove, pair this page with the water calculator - sweat rates and calorie burn move together in the heat.
Planning estimate only - not safety advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Pandolf equation?
A US Army load-carriage model (Pandolf et al., 1977) that predicts the metabolic power of walking from body mass, carried load, speed, gradient and terrain. It is the standard reference behind military march planning and remains the best validated simple equation for walking with a pack.
How accurate is it for hiking?
Within roughly 10-15% for the conditions it was built for: level or moderate grades, walking speeds, pack loads. It overestimates at very slow speeds and underestimates heavy loads carried high on the back; it says nothing about fitness, heat or altitude. Treat the output as a planning middle, then eat a little more.
Do I really burn fewer calories per km when I go faster?
No - per hour burn rises faster than speed, so per kilometer the cost is fairly flat, and slightly higher at very slow or very fast paces. The calculator shows both the per-hour rate and the trip total from your actual time on trail.
Why does terrain matter so much?
The terrain factor multiplies the whole equation: stepping over rocks and through brush costs mechanical work the flat treadmill number never sees. Snow at 1.7x is not an exaggeration if you are breaking trail.
What should I do with the number?
Feed it to the <a href="/backpacking-food-calculator/">backpacking food calculator</a> as your calories per day and compare against what you can realistically carry. Hikers commonly under-eat on day one and pay for it on day three.