By Zencalcy Editorial TeamLast reviewed About us
Estimate the calories you burn hiking from your body weight, the time out on the trail, and how heavy your pack is. A heavier pack and rougher ground raise the MET value, so the same hours cost more energy.
Estimate hiking calories from weight, time, and pack load.
kcal = MET × weight (kg) × time (hours) no pack 6.0 · light pack 7.0 · heavy pack 8.5 MET
The MET values assume steady hiking on moderate terrain. Steep climbs, deep snow, or scrambling push the real cost higher than this estimate.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| pack/terrain | How much you carried, which sets the MET value. |
| weight | Your body mass in kilograms. |
| hours | Moving time on the trail, in hours. |
A 70 kg hiker carrying a light pack for 3 hours burns 7.0 × 70 × 3 = 1,470 kcal. The same hike with a heavy pack over 9 kg (8.5 MET) burns about 1,785 kcal.
Hiking differs from level walking mainly because of elevation change. The ACSM equation prices slope directly, with oxygen uptake equal to 0.1 times speed in metres per minute, plus 1.8 times speed times the fractional grade, plus 3.5 for resting metabolism. A grade of 0.1 means a ten percent incline, the kind of slope that noticeably raises effort.
Uphill walking is where the cost climbs fastest, because you are lifting your body mass against gravity with every step. Downhill still costs energy to brake and stabilise, though less than going up, so an out and back route is not simply double the flat cost.
A rough trail, loose rock, or deep snow adds effort that no simple formula fully captures, because balance and uneven footing consume energy. A loaded pack adds mass the equation does not see, so keep the pack weight in mind when you interpret the result, or raise your effective body weight to approximate it.
Pace on a trail is usually slower than on pavement, but the grade more than compensates. This is why a modest two hour hike over rolling hills can burn more than a faster flat walk of the same length.
Continue with the Jump Rope Calorie Calculator, Running Calorie Calculator, or the Sauna Calories Burned Calculator — or browse more calories burned tools and all sports calculators.
Carrying weight raises the work your body does with every step, so the intensity level rises. The Compendium lists hiking with a load at a higher MET than without.
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Content updated: September 2026