Calories Burned Hiking: Chart by Weight and Calculator
Last updated
This page estimates the calories you burn while hiking based on your body weight and effort level. The table relies on compendium data, which provides baseline energy costs for a typical adult. Keep in mind that fitness trackers also provide estimates rather than exact measurements.
Your actual energy use varies depending on your fitness level, hiking technique, body composition, and how hard you work on the trail.
Calories burned in 30 minutes
Estimated kilocalories (kcal) for 30 minutes of each activity, by body weight.
| Activity (Compendium) | MET | 120 lb 54 kg |
150 lb 68 kg |
180 lb 82 kg |
210 lb 95 kg |
240 lb 109 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hiking slowly or ambling through fields and hillsides, no load (code 17081) | 3.8 | 109 | 136 | 163 | 190 | 217 |
| Hiking or walking at a normal pace through fields and hillsides, no load (code 17082) | 5.3 | 151 | 189 | 227 | 265 | 303 |
| Hiking, cross country (Taylor Code 040) (code 17080) | 6.0 | 171 | 214 | 257 | 300 | 343 |
| Backpacking, hiking with a daypack, organized walking with daypack (code 17012) | 7.8 | 223 | 279 | 334 | 390 | 446 |
By duration
For the row “Hiking, cross country (Taylor Code 040)” (6.0 METs):
| Time | 120 lb 54 kg |
150 lb 68 kg |
180 lb 82 kg |
210 lb 95 kg |
240 lb 109 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 min | 86 | 107 | 129 | 150 | 171 |
| 30 min | 171 | 214 | 257 | 300 | 343 |
| 45 min | 257 | 321 | 386 | 450 | 514 |
| 60 min | 343 | 429 | 514 | 600 | 686 |
Calculate your own estimate
The formula. kcal = MET × 3.5 × body weight in kg ÷ 200 × minutes.
Worked example. Hiking, cross country (Taylor Code 040): 6.0 × 3.5 × 68.0 kg (150 lb) ÷ 200 × 30 min = about 214 kcal.
Which row is you?
The table rows separate hiking activities by speed, effort, and your setting. The lowest effort involves ambling slowly through fields without carrying any extra weight. As you increase your pace to a normal walk, your energy cost goes up. Moving cross country requires even more effort due to uneven terrain. The highest energy demand comes from adding a daypack or backpacking gear. To pick the right row, match your typical pace and whether you carry a load on your hike.
What changes the real number
- Total elevation gain and how steep the trail gets.
- The weight of your backpack, water, and gear.
- Trail conditions like loose rocks, mud, or deep sand.
- Weather conditions like extreme heat or cold that make your body work harder.
Practical tips
- Pace yourself on steep inclines to avoid early fatigue and maintain a steady effort.
- Use trekking poles to improve your balance on uneven terrain and distribute the workload.
- Log your actual moving time rather than your total time outdoors to get a better calorie estimate.
About these numbers. MET values describe the average energy cost of an activity for adults; your own burn can be noticeably higher or lower. The values include resting energy use, so the extra calories from exercise are a little lower than the total shown. A separate Older Adult Compendium exists for people aged 60 and over.
Compare with similar activities
When to stop and see a doctor
- Severe shortness of breath that does not improve when you rest.
- Chest pain, pressure, or a squeezing sensation.
- Dizziness, lightheadedness, or feeling like you might pass out on the trail.
This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, joint problems, are pregnant or have been inactive for a long time, talk to your doctor before starting vigorous exercise.
How this page was made. MET values: 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (Herrmann and colleagues, Journal of Sport and Health Science, 2024), pacompendium.com, used code by code without combining activities. Calories calculated by us with the formula above. Text drafted with AI assistance and checked by the Training Desk; see how we write. Last checked October 2026.