Estimate calories burned hiking by body weight, duration, terrain type, and pack weight — from flat trails to mountain terrain.
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441
Calories burned
441
Cal / hour
4 km
Est. distance
6
MET value
| Calories burned | 441 kcal |
| Calories per hour | 441 kcal/hr |
| Estimated distance | 4 km / 2.49 mi |
| Terrain | Rolling hills |
| Pack | No pack |
Also in Cardio & Conditioning
Hiking & Calorie Burn
Hiking burns more calories than walking on flat ground due to uneven terrain, elevation changes, and the common addition of a loaded pack. This calculator estimates calories burned hiking using body weight, duration, terrain type, and pack weight, based on MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities.
A 70 kg person hiking flat trails for one hour burns approximately 390 kcal. On steep mountain terrain with a heavy pack, that same person may burn over 700 kcal per hour. The main drivers are terrain steepness (which increases MET from 5.3 to 9.0) and pack weight (which adds 0.3–1.2 MET depending on load).
This calculator uses Calories = (MET × 3.5 × weight in kg) ÷ 200 × duration minutes, a standard metabolic formula widely used in exercise science.
Flat trail hiking has a base MET of 5.3. Rolling hills increase this to 6.0, moderate hills to 7.0, steep terrain to 8.0, and mountain or off-trail hiking to 9.0. Each step uphill requires significantly more muscular effort than flat walking, increasing oxygen consumption and calorie expenditure.
Descent also has a metabolic cost — although lower than ascent, eccentric muscle contractions during downhill walking still contribute to overall energy expenditure. This calculator uses the combined MET for a typical out-and-back hike.
Carrying a pack adds aerobic load proportional to the extra mass. Research suggests that carrying 10% of body weight increases metabolic cost by approximately 10% compared to hiking without a pack. A heavy pack (over 15 kg) may add 15–20% to base calorie expenditure. This calculator applies a MET bonus of 0.3 (light pack), 0.7 (moderate), or 1.2 (heavy).
Frequently asked questions
Yes, significantly. Ascending steep terrain is one of the most energy-intensive forms of locomotion. The steeper the gradient, the higher the MET value. This calculator uses terrain type as a proxy for average gradient. For precise elevation-based calculations, a GPS-based wearable provides more accurate estimates.
Hiking is an effective and sustainable form of exercise for calorie burn, particularly on hilly terrain with a pack. Compared to flat walking, challenging hikes can burn two to three times as many calories per hour. It also has lower injury rates than running for most people.
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