Calories Burned Hiking Calculator

About this calculator

Hiking calorie burn is estimated with the same MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) framework used for walking, but hiking's METs run noticeably higher because of terrain and load: a moderate hike on a mixed trail sits around 5.3–6 METs, hiking with a loaded backpack pushes into the 7–9 MET range, and steep uphill hiking with pack weight can exceed 10 METs — reflecting the extra energy cost of elevation gain, uneven footing and carried weight that flat walking doesn't have. Calories burned = MET × body weight in kg × duration in hours, so a heavier pack and steeper grade both raise the effective MET used in the estimate.

These MET values come from the Compendium of Physical Activities used by exercise scientists, and are applied by backpackers and trekkers to plan trail food and water needs, by wilderness guides estimating group energy demands on multi-day trips, and by fitness apps that adjust hiking estimates for elevation gain data pulled from GPS.

This calculator takes your weight, hiking duration and intensity (including terrain and pack load) to estimate total calories burned using standard hiking MET values, so you can plan trail nutrition more accurately than a flat walking estimate would allow.