Whether you are a new hiker or an experienced backpacker making sure you consume enough calories is always a challenge. Based on the science-backed and mission-tested approach the US military uses for mission planning, we created an easy-to-use calorie calculator to help you determine your caloric intake and food needs for your next backpacking adventure. Using this to plan will not only help you maintain optimal performance and health throughout your trip but also help you streamline your food packing process.
Backpacking Calorie Calculator
When it comes to backpacking, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the physical demands it places on your body. One crucial aspect of this is knowing how many calories you burn during a hike so that you can properly fuel yourself without overpacking. This can help you plan your meals and ensure you have enough energy to complete your journey.
To give you the most accurate estimate possible we have used two well-researched models: the Load Carriage Decision Aid Walking Equation (LCDA) and the Basal Metabolic Rate (Mifflin-St Jeor Equation) to determine our active and resting calorie burn.
It is important to note that both the LCDA and BMR provide an estimate rather than an exact measurement of energy expenditure. Individual variations in fitness levels, body composition, walking efficiency and other factors can influence the actual calories burned. For personalized advice consult a nutritionist.
Key Factors Impacting Your Calorie Burn Rate
- Body Weight
- Your weight is an important factor in calculating your caloric burn rate. The more you weigh, the more calories you will burn per hour.
- For example, a 200-pound male hiking three miles with a 15 lb pack will burn 433 calories while a 150-pound male will burn approximately 285 calories.
- Backpack Weight
- As the the load you carry becomes heavier your energy expenditure increases as well.
- For example, a 150-pound male hiking three miles with a 15 lb pack will burn 285 calories, but increasing the pack weight to 30 lbs will burn approximately 311 calories.
- Gender
- In general, men have a higher muscle-to-fat ratio and muscle requires more calories than fat, so men often have a higher calorie burn rate than women
- Slope
- Incline plays a significant part in burn rate, as the slope increases so does the burn. This is an important consideration for backpacking meal planning. For example, on level ground, you can hike at 4mph and expend the same calories per mile as you would if you were on 15% grade and hiking at ~1.5mph.
- Terrain
- Hiking in rocky, muddy, or sandy terrain will also increase your calorie needs over even gravel or paved roads.
- Speed
- The faster you hike, the faster you will burn calories. However, it is calorically efficient to go faster when you have a heavy backpack to minimize the time you are carrying added weight.
The Science Behind Our Backpacking Calorie Calculator
Load Carriage Decision Aid (LCDA): Active Calories
Dr. David Looney, a research physiologist from USARIEM’s Biophysics and Biomedical Modeling Division, is leading the research effort to provide the most accurate tools to estimate energy expenditure during missions. In 2019 his team developed the new LCDA graded walking equation based on 48 studies and 100 years of data. They validated it against seven other predictive models and found that it was more accurate for a wide range of conditions including level, downhill, and uphill slopes. The US military continues to build on this data set of metabolic cost and physiological data to further refine the tool.
This tool utilizes the load carriage decision aid (LCDA) walking equation to predict energy expenditure while walking on various terrains with or without a heavy pack. The LCDA equation was originally developed for the US Army to calculate the standing and walking metabolic rate in healthy military-age adults. The equation considers both the metabolic cost of carrying the load, the energy required to move the load forward as well as the impact that walking on different terrains has on your level of effort. It estimates the added energy costs of steeper uphill walking as a function of vertical climbing speed.
The new LCDA graded walking equation will be suitable for a wide range of real-world applications, such as dismounted military operations, hiking, humanitarian missions, treadmill exercise, and wildland firefighting.
Dr. David Looney (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2019)
The LCDA provides a great way to estimate your active calories used while backpacking as it accounts for walking speed, body weight, backpack weight and the slope of the terrain, and is one of the most accurate methods currently available. Note that this tool is built for walking and is primarily intended for speeds from 0 to ~5 mph.
On level conditions, this energy expenditure study found that the optimal walking speed is about 3 mph to minimize metabolic cost and maximize distance. While at higher speeds you have a higher calorie burn rate you spend less time lugging a heavy backpack, so it can be more efficient to go faster with a heavier bag.
Basal Metabolic Rate: Resting Calories
The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is another important factor to consider when calculating the calories burned during backpacking. This is the number of calories your body needs to maintain basic bodily functions such as keeping your heart beating and your lungs breathing. We used the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation as this is one of the most accurate and widely used formulas that estimates your BMR based on age, gender, weight, and height.
For example, the equation for men is as follows:
BMR = (9.99 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) + 5
And for women:
BMR = (9.99 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) – 161
Once you have calculated your BMR, you can use this information to determine the number of calories you need to consume to maintain your current weight. If you are looking to lose weight, you can create a calorie deficit by consuming fewer calories than your BMR. On the other hand, if you are looking to gain weight, you can create a calorie surplus by consuming more calories than your BMR and active calories. I would not recommend trying to be in a significant calorie deficit while backpacking.
It’s important to note that this backpacking calorie calculator is an estimation tool and individual variations may exist. Factors such as terrain, weather conditions, fitness level, and individual metabolism can all influence the actual number of calories burned during a hike. However, with a science-backed approach, this calculator can provide a great starting point for backpackers to plan their nutritional needs.
Citations
LOONEY, DAVID P.; POTTER, ADAM W.; PRYOR, J. LUKE; BREMNER, PATRICIA E.; CHALMERS, CHRISTOPHER R.; MCCLUNG, HOLLY L.; WELLES, ALEXANDER P.; SANTEE, WILLIAM R.. Metabolic Costs of Standing and Walking in Healthy Military-Age Adults: A Meta-regression. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 51(2):p 346-351, February 2019. | DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001779
LOONEY, DAVID P.; SANTEE, WILLIAM R.; HANSEN, ERIC O.; BONVENTRE, PETER J.; CHALMERS, CHRISTOPHER R.; POTTER, ADAM W.. Estimating Energy Expenditure during Level, Uphill, and Downhill Walking. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 51(9):p 1954-1960, September 2019. | DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002002
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee on the Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2023 Jan 17. 4, Factors Affecting Energy Expenditure and Requirements. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK591031/
