Backpacking Food Calorie Calculator
Calculate daily calorie needs for backpacking.
Plan how much food to carry per day based on pack weight, terrain, and duration.
Backpacking burns significantly more calories than everyday activity. A heavy pack, steep terrain, cold weather, and long days all increase caloric demand.
Base calorie formula: Daily calories = (BMR × activity multiplier) + pack weight factor + terrain factor
BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor):
- Men: 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5
- Women: 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161
Activity multipliers for backpacking:
- Flat trail, 15–20 km/day: 1.9
- Mixed terrain, 20–25 km/day: 2.2
- Mountain / steep trail, 15–20 km/day: 2.5
- Alpine / very demanding, 25+ km/day: 2.8
Pack weight penalty: Every 10% of body weight added as pack weight increases caloric burn by roughly 5%.
Rule of thumb for trip planning: Most backpackers carry food at 500–700 kcal per 100g (dried food, nuts, energy bars). A target of 1.5–2.0 kg of food per person per day provides 3,000–4,000 kcal. Lightweight freeze-dried meals at 500+ kcal per 100g allow carrying just 600–800g per day for 3,000 kcal.
Cold weather: Add 200–400 kcal/day for temperatures below 5°C as the body works to maintain core temperature.