Calculate calories burned hiking using MET values adjusted for terrain and elevation gain. This calculator uses MET values in the manner of the Compendium of Physical Activities, with a terrain scale, pack increments and an ascent rate that are this site's own rather than transcribed, plus corrections for uphill hiking, pack weight, and pace. Enter your weight, distance, elevation gain, terrain and pack weight, and the calculator applies the ACSM metabolic formula to estimate energy expenditure. Walking speed is not an input: it is taken from the terrain, at 5 km/h on the flat down to 2 km/h on steep ground, and elevation gain adds time on top. MET values increase with gradient: flat hiking ≈ 3.5 MET, moderate uphill ≈ 6.0 MET, steep uphill ≈ 8.0+ MET.
Inputs
Result
🔥
Calories
1,305 kcal
⏱
Duration
3h
⚡
Cal/hour
435 kcal
MET value used: 5.8, based on rolling terrain with light pack.
≈ 7 granola bars (200 kcal each)
This calculator is for reference only. Calorie estimates are based on MET values and may not account for individual metabolic rate, fitness level, or environmental conditions.
MET Values for Walking and Hiking, Compendium of Physical Activities
Rows quoted from the Walking category of the Compendium of Physical Activities, code and wording as printed there, with kcal per hour computed for a 70 kg person. These are reference values, not what the calculator above uses: its four terrain MET values are this site's own terrain graded scale, anchored between the Compendium hiking and climbing hills entries rather than transcribed from any single one.
Activity
MET Value
Calories/hour (70 kg)
Source
Walking, 2.5 mph, firm, level surface
3.0
210 kcal
Compendium 17170
Walking with a day pack, level ground
3.5
245 kcal
Compendium 17011
Hiking slowly or ambling through fields and hillsides, no load
3.8
266 kcal
Compendium 17081
Walking, 2.8 to 3.4 mph, level, moderate pace, firm surface
3.8
266 kcal
Compendium 17190
Walking, 3.5 to 3.9 mph, level, brisk, firm surface
4.8
336 kcal
Compendium 17200
Climbing hills, no load, 1 to 5% grade, moderate to brisk pace
5.3
371 kcal
Compendium 17034
Hiking or walking at a normal pace through fields and hillsides, no load
5.3
371 kcal
Compendium 17082
Hiking, cross country
6.0
420 kcal
Compendium 17080
Climbing hills, 10 to 20 lb load, 5 to 10% grade, moderate pace
6.5
455 kcal
Compendium 17045
Backpacking
7.0
490 kcal
Compendium 17010
Climbing hills, no load, 6 to 10% grade, moderate to brisk pace
7.0
490 kcal
Compendium 17035
Climbing hills, 21 to 40 lb load, 3 to 10% grade, moderate to brisk pace
7.5
525 kcal
Compendium 17050
Backpacking, hiking with a daypack
7.8
546 kcal
Compendium 17012
Climbing hills, no load, 11 to 20% grade, slow to moderate pace
8.8
616 kcal
Compendium 17036
MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values from Ainsworth et al. (2011) Compendium of Physical Activities. Calories per hour calculated as: kcal/hr = MET × body weight (kg) × 1.05. Values shown for a 70 kg person. Use the calculator above for your exact weight and terrain.
ACSM Metabolic Formula for Walking and Hiking
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) metabolic equation for walking calculates energy expenditure from speed and grade. This ACSM calculator approach is the standard method used in clinical exercise physiology, the same calories burned walking with elevation gain formula used by exercise scientists.
Grade is expressed as a decimal (e.g., 10% grade = 0.10)
Converting VO₂ to calories: kcal/min = VO₂ (ml/kg/min) × body weight (kg) ÷ 200
This formula is accurate for walking speeds of 1.9 to 6.4 km/h (50 to 100 m/min) on grades from 0 to 25%. For steeper gradients or running speeds, modified equations apply. The calculator above uses this ACSM calories burned formula with MET adjustments for terrain difficulty.
Hiking Calories Burned by Distance and Elevation
Quick reference for calories burned hiking by distance, elevation gain, and body weight.
Distance
Elevation Gain
~Calories (60 kg)
~Calories (75 kg)
~Calories (90 kg)
5 km
0 m (flat)
200 kcal
250 kcal
300 kcal
5 km
300 m
300 kcal
375 kcal
450 kcal
10 km
0 m (flat)
400 kcal
500 kcal
600 kcal
10 km
500 m
550 kcal
690 kcal
825 kcal
10 km
1000 m
700 kcal
875 kcal
1050 kcal
15 km
500 m
750 kcal
940 kcal
1125 kcal
15 km
1000 m
950 kcal
1190 kcal
1425 kcal
20 km
1000 m
1200 kcal
1500 kcal
1800 kcal
Estimates based on moderate pace (~4 to 5 km/h) with light pack. Actual calories depend on terrain, fitness level, and environmental conditions. Use the calculator above for precise estimates.
What Is MET and How Does It Work?
MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) is a standardized unit of energy expenditure. 1 MET equals the energy cost of sitting quietly, approximately 3.5 ml O₂/kg/min or 1.05 kcal/kg/hr. Hiking with elevation gain typically ranges from 5 to 9 MET depending on gradient and pack weight. The Ainsworth Compendium of Physical Activities catalogues MET values for hundreds of activities based on oxygen consumption studies. This calculator uses compendium MET values adjusted for your specific hiking conditions. Carrying a heavy pack increases calorie burn, check if your pack is within safe limits with our backpack weight calculator.
How Elevation Gain Affects Calories Burned
Elevation gain dramatically increases energy expenditure while hiking. Walking uphill at a 10% grade burns approximately 50% more calories than walking on flat terrain at the same speed. At 20% grade, calorie burn nearly doubles. This is because lifting your body weight against gravity requires significant additional energy, approximately 4 to 5 additional calories per kilogram of body weight per 100m of elevation gain. The calculator above applies gradient-specific MET adjustments using the ACSM vertical component formula. Higher calorie burn means more sweat, plan your water intake with our hiking water calculator. Estimate how long your hike will take (which affects total calories) with our Naismith's Rule calculator.
How it works
Metabolic Equivalent of Task
MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) is a measure of the energy cost of physical activities. One MET equals the energy expended while sitting quietly, approximately 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour.
Activities are assigned a MET value relative to this baseline. Hiking on flat terrain has a MET of about 4.0, meaning it burns four times more energy than sitting. Steep mountain hiking can reach MET 8.0 or higher.
The formula used here
Calories = MET × body weight (kg) × time (hours)
This is the same formula used by sports scientists, physiotherapists, and fitness trackers worldwide.
Why your pack weight matters
Carrying a loaded pack significantly increases calorie burn beyond the simple extra weight. The body compensates for an unstable load on the back by engaging core and stabilising muscles continuously, increasing metabolic rate by 8 to 38% depending on load.
Research from the US Army Research Institute shows that a 15 kg pack increases oxygen consumption by approximately 25% compared to hiking with no load, even on flat terrain. On steep terrain, the effect is proportionally larger.
This is why long multi-day hikers consume 4,000 to 6,000 kcal per day, even without extraordinary exertion. The combination of distance, elevation, cold temperatures, and pack weight accumulates throughout the day.
On multi-day treks, pack weight reduces as food is consumed. Your calorie burn decreases slightly each day as the load lightens.
How to fuel your hike
A common rule of thumb: eat 200 to 300 kcal per hour of active hiking, starting from the first hour. Unlike cycling or running, hiking allows a more relaxed fuelling schedule, but multi-hour hikes still require consistent intake to maintain energy and prevent bonking.
Practical approach
Eat a proper meal 1 to 2 hours before. During the hike, consume 200 to 300 kcal per hour from portable sources: energy bars, nuts, dried fruit, or sandwiches. Drink water alongside eating, as dehydration accelerates fatigue.
On multi-day hikes, daily calorie needs typically reach 3,000 to 4,500 kcal depending on distance, elevation, and temperature. Cold weather adds 10 to 20% to requirements.
The number above is what you spend, not what you should try to replace while you are walking. On a long day those are different quantities, and the gap between them is normal rather than a mistake to correct.
What limits you is absorption rather than appetite. Our cycling nutrition calculator works from the figure that endurance nutrition is built on: 40 to 60 g of carbohydrates per hour for most people, and 60 to 90 g/h for a trained gut using mixed sugars. Carbohydrate carries about 4 kcal per gram, so that is roughly 160 to 240 kcal an hour, or 240 to 360 for somebody who has practised it. Set that beside the hourly figure this page gives you and the arithmetic is not subtle: a day at 435 kcal an hour runs a deficit whatever you carry.
So the target on the hill is not the total. It is eating steadily at a rate you can absorb, starting before you are hungry, and making the rest up over the evening and the following day. Trying to close the gap in one sitting on the trail buys nausea rather than energy, and a stomach that has stopped cooperating at hour six is a real problem on ground where you still have to walk out.
The bar count in the result is there to make the total tangible, not to set a quota. Read it as the size of the day rather than the size of the lunch.
Frequently asked questions
What MET value should I use for hiking with elevation gain?
For moderate uphill hiking (5-15% grade) at a normal pace, use MET 6.0-7.0. For steep uphill hiking (>15% grade), use MET 8.0-9.0. Flat terrain hiking without a pack is approximately MET 5.3. These values come from the Ainsworth Compendium of Physical Activities. The calculator above selects the appropriate MET based on your inputs.
Does this calculator use the ACSM metabolic equation?
No. This calculator multiplies a MET value by body weight and hours, in the manner of the Compendium of Physical Activities. The ACSM metabolic walking equation is a different tool from a different document, the ACSM Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription: it derives oxygen uptake from speed and gradient, VO₂ = 3.5 + (0.1 × speed) + (1.8 × speed × grade), then kcal/min = VO₂ × body weight ÷ 200, and it is stated for speeds of 1.9 to 6.4 km/h and grades up to 25%. It needs a speed and a gradient as inputs. This page asks for neither: speed comes from the terrain you pick and elevation gain adds time rather than raising the metabolic rate, so the two approaches are not interchangeable and this page uses only the MET one.
How many calories does a 10km hike burn?
A 10km hike on flat terrain burns approximately 400-600 kcal depending on body weight (60-90 kg). With 500m of elevation gain, this increases to 550-825 kcal. With 1000m of elevation gain, expect 700-1050 kcal. Use the calculator above for a precise estimate based on your weight and route.
What are Ainsworth Compendium MET values?
The Ainsworth Compendium of Physical Activities is a standardized database of energy costs (MET values) for hundreds of physical activities, compiled from laboratory oxygen consumption studies. First published in 1993 and updated in 2000 and 2011, it is the most widely cited reference for exercise energy expenditure in sports science and clinical research.
How accurate is this calculator?
The MET formula gives a reasonable estimate, typically within ±15% of measured values for most hikers. Individual variation in fitness, walking efficiency, and metabolism means no calculator is perfectly accurate. Use the result as a planning guide, not an exact measurement. Wearable fitness trackers use similar MET-based calculations.
Why does body weight affect calories so much?
Heavier bodies require more energy to move. The MET formula multiplies by body weight because a 100 kg hiker and a 60 kg hiker doing the same activity expend very different amounts of energy. The heavier person burns approximately 67% more calories per hour at the same pace.
Does altitude affect calorie burn?
Yes, but the calculator does not account for altitude. At elevation above 2,500m, reduced oxygen availability forces the body to work harder, increasing calorie burn by roughly 5 to 15% compared to sea level. For high-altitude treks (Alps, Himalaya), add 10% to the result.
How does this compare to a fitness tracker?
Most wearable trackers use a similar MET-based formula combined with heart rate data. Heart rate adjustment can improve accuracy by 5 to 10%, but requires measuring it during the hike. For planning purposes, the results should be comparable to your watch's estimates.
Are calories different going uphill vs downhill?
Yes. Uphill hiking burns significantly more calories than flat or downhill. Downhill hiking burns fewer calories per km but is harder on the knees and uses different muscles. This calculator accounts for elevation gain (uphill effort) but does not subtract for descents, giving a conservative estimate for the full hike.
What is a typical calorie burn for a day hike?
A typical half-day hike (3 to 4 hours, 10 to 15 km, moderate terrain) burns 800 to 1,500 kcal for a 70 to 80 kg hiker with a light pack. A full mountain day with 1,000m of climbing can reach 2,000 to 3,000 kcal. These are significant numbers that explain why you feel hungry after a long hike.
Should I eat back all the calories I burn?
For single day hikes, most people don't need to eat back all burned calories. The body has glycogen and fat reserves. On multi-day hikes, consistent calorie replacement is important to maintain energy and recover overnight. Under-fuelling on long treks leads to fatigue, poor judgement, and increased injury risk.
How does cold weather affect calorie needs?
Cold weather increases calorie burn in two ways: the body burns extra energy maintaining core temperature (thermogenesis), and heavy clothing increases the energy cost of movement. In temperatures below 0°C, add approximately 10 to 20% to the calculated result. Winter mountaineering can require 5,000+ kcal per day.