Hiking burns roughly 570 calories an hour for a 160 lb (73 kg) person carrying a daypack, using the 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities value of 7.8 MET. A 5-mile hike with 1,000 feet of climbing takes about 2 h 10 min of moving time, so that is about 1,230 kcal.
The hiking time calculator does this for your weight, hike and pace.
The formula
Calories = MET × body weight (kg) × hours. A MET is the energy cost of an activity as a multiple of sitting still. The Compendium of Physical Activities, the reference researchers use, lists these values (2024 adult edition):
| Activity (as published) | Code | MET |
|---|---|---|
| Hiking or walking at a normal pace through fields and hillsides, no load | 17082 | 5.3 |
| Hiking, cross country | 17080 | 6.0 |
| Backpacking | 17010 | 7.0 |
| Backpacking, hiking with a daypack, organized walking with daypack | 17012 | 7.8 |
| Walking, 3.5 to 3.9 mph, level, brisk, firm surface | 17200 | 4.8 |
| Walking, 2.8 to 3.4 mph, level, moderate pace | 17190 | 3.8 |
Source: 2024 Adult Compendium, walking codes. Hiking with a daypack (7.8) burns about twice what walking at 3 mph on a level street does (3.8).
Calories burned by weight and hike
Hiking with a daypack (7.8 MET), using Naismith's rule for moving time:
| Hike (moving time) | 130 lb | 160 lb | 190 lb | 220 lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 mi, 300 ft (50 min) | 380 | 460 | 550 | 640 |
| 5 mi, 1,000 ft (2 h 10 min) | 1,000 | 1,230 | 1,460 | 1,690 |
| 8 mi, 2,000 ft (3 h 40 min) | 1,690 | 2,080 | 2,460 | 2,850 |
Climbing raises the count mainly by adding time; the Compendium's steeper hill-climbing codes run from 7 to over 15 MET, so a steep, fast climb burns more per hour than these figures.
Hiking vs walking calories
Per hour, a day hike with a pack (7.8 MET) burns about 1.6 times a brisk level walk at 3.5 to 3.9 mph (4.8 MET) and about twice a moderate 3 mph walk (3.8 MET). Hiking also tends to last longer, so the total for an outing is usually much higher.
Use it on a real trail
Every Summit Seeker trail guide with a checked distance shows a time and calorie estimate for a 160 lb hiker, with a link to adjust it. Find one close by with hikes near me or easy hikes near me.
Multiply 7.8 by your weight in kilograms and by the hours you'll be moving. For a quick answer for your own hike, use the calculator.
Questions
How many calories does hiking burn per hour?
About 460 to 780 kcal an hour for a 130 to 220 lb hiker with a daypack (7.8 MET in the 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities).
How many calories does a 5-mile hike burn?
For a 160 lb hiker with 1,000 feet of climbing, about 1,230 kcal over 2 h 10 min of moving time.
Does hiking burn more calories than walking?
Yes. Hiking with a daypack is 7.8 MET against 3.8 to 4.8 MET for level walking at 3 to 3.9 mph, so roughly 1.6 to 2 times as much per hour.