Hiking Calorie Calculator

How many calories does hiking burn?

A 155 lb hiker burns about 370 calories per hour at a normal pace on rolling trails. Sustained climbs of 6% to 10% push it to about 490, and a day hike with a pack to about 550. Brisk climbing with 20 lb or more burns over 700 calories an hour. Three things drive the number: how steep the trail is, how much you carry, and how much you weigh. Distance matters less than you might think, because steep miles take so much longer.

The estimates use the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, which has separate codes for hill grades, pack weights, and pole use.

[1]

Calories burned hiking per hour

Totals are for one hour of moving time.

How the calculator works

Calories burned = MET × body weight in kg × hours.

Example: a 170 lb hiker (77.1 kg) spends 3 hours on a day hike with a pack (7.8 MET). 7.8 × 77.1 × 3 = 1,804 kcal. Net of resting burn (MET minus 1), that is 1,573 kcal.

A full day on the trail can burn as much as a day's eating for some people, which is why long hikes need a food plan.

[1]

How to use this calculator

Choose the row that fits most of the route. For an out-and-back with a long climb, run the calculator twice: once for the ascent with a climbing row and once for the descent with the normal-pace row.

Enter moving time. A GPS watch or hiking app records it separately from total time, which includes lunch and photo stops.

If you know your pack weight, speed, and grade, the rucking calculator uses the Pandolf load-carriage equation and adjusts for terrain such as brush or sand.

On long or hot hikes, carry enough water and food. Hikers with heart or lung conditions should check with a doctor before steep or high-altitude trips.

[8]

Why climbing costs so much

Grade has the biggest effect on hiking energy. When Minetti and colleagues measured walkers on slopes from minus 45% to plus 45%, level walking at its cheapest cost 1.64 J per kg per meter. At plus 45% it cost 17.33, more than 10 times as much for every meter covered. Downhill is cheapest at about minus 10%, where the cost dropped to 0.81. Steeper descents cost more again because the leg muscles work as brakes. The same researchers found the most economical gradient for gaining height was 20% to 30%, similar to many well-built mountain paths with switchbacks.

[2]

Trekking poles: more calories, less knee strain

Poles let your arms share the work. In a study of Nordic walking with a vigorous pole technique, energy use rose by up to 67% over ordinary walking.

Casual pole use adds less.

Poles also help on the way down. In a study of downhill hiking with packs of 0%, 15%, and 30% of body weight, trekking poles reduced loading at the knee and other lower-limb joints at every pack weight.

[3][5]

Avoiding sore legs after a big descent

Long descents cause most post-hike soreness because the thigh muscles lengthen under load with every step. A short rehearsal helps. In a trial of untrained young men, those who did a 5-minute downhill walk one week before a 40-minute downhill walk (28% grade, carrying 10% of body weight) had 47% to 64% less muscle damage. The control group's soreness peaked at 81 on a 100 mm scale, and their strength fell 19%.

Before a trip with a lot of descent, fit in a few short downhill sessions on a hill or treadmill.

[4]

Carrying a pack

Where you carry weight matters as much as how much.

A review of military load carriage found loads held close to the body's center of mass cost the least energy, and a hip belt eased the load on the shoulders. Weight on the feet costs far more: each extra kilogram in footwear raised energy cost by 7% to 10%, against 4% for a kilogram on the thigh. Light trail shoes save energy over a long day.

Common pack injuries include blisters, back strain, knee pain, and numbness from shoulder straps. Break in boots and build up pack weight over several hikes.

[6]

Hiking at altitude

In a lab study of 12 young men, breathing air with 11% oxygen (severe simulated altitude) slowed the most economical walking speed by about 8%. Air with 15% oxygen had no measurable effect. On very high trails, expect a slower natural pace and plan time accordingly.

[7]

Where these numbers can be off

Real trails mix climbs, flats, rocks, and descents, and the Compendium rows describe average conditions. Snow, sand, and heavy brush can raise the cost well above the table.

Treat the result as a planning estimate and pack more food than you think you need.

[1]

How it works

Calories = MET × body weight (kg) × hours. MET values come from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (codes 17010 to 17315). Net calories use MET minus 1 to remove what you would burn at rest. For a loaded pack at a known speed and grade, the rucking calculator uses the Pandolf equation instead.

Practical tips

• Split long routes into climbing and descending segments.
• Use moving time from your watch, not total time.
• Keep heavy items close to your back and use the hip belt.
• Try a short downhill walk a week before a big descent.
• Choose light footwear. Each kilogram on your feet adds 7% to 10% to the cost.

Frequently asked questions

• How many calories does hiking burn per hour?For a 155 lb (70 kg) hiker: about 267 kcal on an easy ramble, 373 kcal at a normal pace, 492 kcal on 6% to 10% climbs, 548 kcal with a daypack, and about 700 kcal climbing briskly with 20 lb or more.
• How many calories does a 5-mile hike burn?At a normal trail pace of about 2.5 mph, a 5-mile hike takes 2 hours and burns about 750 kcal for a 155 lb hiker. Add 30% to 60% for a hilly route or a loaded pack.
• Why does hiking burn more than walking?Uneven ground, climbing, and a pack all add cost. Climbing matters most: in lab tests, walking up a 45% slope cost about 10 times more energy per meter than the cheapest level walk.
• Do trekking poles burn more calories?They can. Nordic walking cost up to 67% more than ordinary walking in a study that used a vigorous pole technique. Poles also reduce knee loading on descents, even with a heavy pack.
• Does hiking downhill burn calories?Fewer than uphill. Walking cost reaches its lowest point at about a 10% downhill grade, then rises again on steeper descents as your muscles brake. That braking is what causes next-day soreness.
• How do I avoid sore legs after a downhill hike?Do a short downhill walk a week or so before a big descent. In one trial, 5 minutes of downhill walking one week ahead cut muscle damage from a 40-minute downhill walk by roughly half.

Related calculators

References

1. Herrmann SD, et al. J Sport Health Sci 2024. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: A third update of the energy costs of human activities
2. Minetti AE, et al. J Appl Physiol 2002. Energy cost of walking and running at extreme uphill and downhill slopes
3. Bohne M, Abendroth-Smith J. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2007. Effects of hiking downhill using trekking poles while carrying external loads
4. Maeo S, et al. PLoS One 2017. Prevention of downhill walking-induced muscle damage by non-damaging downhill walking
5. Hansen EA, Smith G. J Strength Cond Res 2009. Energy expenditure and comfort during Nordic walking with different pole lengths
6. Knapik JJ, et al. Mil Med 2004. Soldier load carriage: historical, physiological, biomechanical, and medical aspects
7. Horiuchi M, et al. Biol Open 2016. Walking economy at simulated high altitude in human healthy young male lowlanders
8. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition