Backpacking Food Ideas & Calorie Calculator
Enter your trip details for a personalized calorie target. Miles, elevation, pack weight, and temperature all factored in.
Calculate Your Food Needs
Your Food Plan
Calorie Breakdown
Packing Tips
- Target 100 cal/oz. Below that and your pack gets heavy fast.
- Add a 10-15% buffer on trips longer than 3 days. Calorie burn on big elevation days can surprise you.
- Olive oil. 240 cal/oz, adds to any dinner, weighs almost nothing.
- Eat fresh food first. Bring an apple or bagel for day 1, then switch to shelf-stable.
Methodology
How the calorie estimate is calculated
The total is the sum of four components:
1. Resting Metabolic Rate (BMR)
Calories burned at rest over 24 hours, scaled by body weight: 1,800 x (body_weight / 150). Covers breathing, temperature regulation, and all non-exercise functions.
2. Hiking calories
Energy cost of locomotion: 60 cal/mile x (body_weight / 150) on flat ground. Pack weight increases the load proportionally. A 30 lb pack on a 150 lb person adds roughly 20% to hiking calories. Based on load carriage energetics research (Pandolf et al., 1977; Givoni and Goldman, 1971).
3. Elevation gain
Climbing costs approximately 0.5 cal/ft x (body_weight / 150), derived from the vertical work component of the Pandolf equation. Descent is not subtracted. Downhill hiking still burns meaningful calories through eccentric muscle work.
4. Cold weather thermogenesis
Below 50°F, your body burns extra calories keeping core temperature up. Flat bonus applied: +150 cal (32-50°F), +250 cal (20-32°F), +400 cal (below 20°F). Conservative numbers assuming adequate insulation. If you're underdressed, actual burn will be higher.
Individual metabolism varies by plus or minus 15-20%. Use this as a starting point and adjust based on how you actually feel after a few trips.