How to Use the Hiking Calorie Calculator?

1. Enter Your Weight: Input your body weight in pounds. This is crucial as your weight significantly affects the number of calories you burn during physical activity.

2. Input Backpack Weight: Enter the weight of your backpack in pounds. The additional weight you carry impacts your energy expenditure.

3. Specify Hiking Distance: Enter the total distance of your hike in miles. Longer distances generally result in more calories burned.

4. Enter Elevation Gain: Input the total elevation gain of your hike in feet. Uphill hiking burns more calories than flat terrain.

5. Select Terrain Type: Choose the type of terrain you’ll be hiking on from the dropdown menu. Options range from paved roads to snow, each with a different energy cost.

6. Specify Hiking Duration: Enter the total time you expect to spend hiking in hours. This helps calculate your average speed and calories burned per hour.

7. Calculate: Click the “Calculate Calories Burned” button to get your results. The calculator will then display three key pieces of information:

• Total Calories Burned: The estimated total number of calories burned during your entire hike.
• Calories Burned per Hour: An estimate of how many calories you’re burning each hour of your hike.
• Calories Burned per Mile: The average number of calories burned per mile of your hike.

This tool uses a modified version of the Pandolf equation, which is widely used in exercise physiology to estimate energy expenditure during loaded walking. It takes into account not just distance and duration, but also the impact of carrying weight, walking on an incline, and traversing different types of terrain.

By using this calculator, hikers can better plan their nutrition and hydration needs for their treks. It can also be a motivational tool, helping users understand the significant calorie burn associated with hiking, which can encourage more outdoor activity. Remember, while this calculator provides a good estimate, actual calorie burn can vary based on individual factors such as fitness level, age, and gender, as well as environmental conditions like temperature and wind.