Day stats and active burn
How Trailkeep calculates per-section elevation, moving time, and active calorie burn, and how to improve accuracy.
Each section in the Trip Planner shows a stats row below the waypoint list: estimated moving time, elevation ascent and descent (when GPX boundaries exist), and Active calorie burn.
All figures update automatically as you add waypoints, upload a GPX file, or link a gear list to the trip.
Elevation
The elevation row shows the section's total ascent and descent in metres or feet, depending on your distance unit preference.
| Value | Shown when |
|---|---|
| Ascent (up-right arrow icon) | The section has net positive elevation gain |
| Descent (down-right arrow icon) | The section has net negative elevation loss |
How it is calculated:
- When a GPX file with elevation data is uploaded, Trailkeep sums elevation gain and loss along each planned leg on that section — the same path shown as orange lines on the map when stops are placed. A 5-metre noise threshold filters GPS jitter so totals are not artificially inflated.
- A section's elevation row appears only after you place at least one stop on that section. A trailhead or inherited start alone is not enough — showing the rest of the uploaded route as section stats would be misleading.
- When no GPX file is uploaded but waypoints have map coordinates, Trailkeep can still estimate Active burn using terrain altitude at each waypoint (MapTiler). That fallback does not populate the ascent/descent elevation row — elevation display requires GPX.
If GPX elevation is unavailable, the elevation row is not shown.
Moving time
Each section with waypoint distances shows an estimated moving time (clock icon) using Naismith's Rule — the same model as the Hiking Time Calculator:
- 1 hour per 5 km of distance
- +1 hour per 600 m of elevation gain
- +1% per kg of pack weight when a gear list is linked
Moving time is a minimum estimate for a fit hiker on a good trail. It does not include rest stops. When climb is estimated from typical terrain (no GPX elevation and no waypoint altitudes), the clock shows a ~ prefix and the info icon explains the assumption.
| Input | Source | When missing |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | Sum of waypoint legs (travel excluded) | No time shown |
| Elevation gain | GPX per section, or waypoint altitude deltas, or 5% gradient | See Active burn table |
| Pack weight | Linked gear list total | No pack load applied — link a list to include pack weight |
Moving time and Active burn use different models (Naismith vs Pandolf) and different pace assumptions. Use moving time to plan hours on trail; use Active burn for food planning.
Active burn
Active is the estimated energy burned while moving on the trail — the same concept as the active calories shown on a Garmin, Apple Watch, or similar fitness tracker, but calculated in advance from your trip data. Your total daily food intake need will be higher, as it does not include resting metabolism, sleep, or camp activities.
The estimate is calculated using the Pandolf Load Carriage equation — a formula developed from empirical physiological research that accounts for body weight, pack weight, speed, and terrain gradient.
This is a planning estimate, not a sports tracker reading. Individual results vary based on fitness, terrain type, rest stops, and actual pace. Use it to compare sections and plan food resupply, not as a medical measurement.
What goes into the calculation
| Input | Source | Fallback |
|---|---|---|
| Body weight | Your weight set in Settings → Personal details | 70 kg |
| Pack weight | Total weight of the gear list linked to this trip | No pack load (link a list to include it) |
| Distance | Sum of on-trail waypoint distances for the section | No estimate shown |
| Elevation gain (for Active burn) | GPX-derived per section, or waypoint altitude deltas when no GPX | 5% average gradient |
Each distance is a leg from the previous stop in the day. Map-linked legs update when you insert, delete, or place stops on the map; typed-only legs are never overwritten. See Waypoints — Distances.
Hiking speed is assumed at 1.1 m/s (~4 km/h), a typical loaded trail pace. Time on trail is derived directly from distance at that speed — a longer section means more time moving and therefore more calories burned.
Active burn only appears when at least one on-trail waypoint has a distance entered. Waypoints with the legacy CSV Travel flag are excluded from distance totals — a section where every waypoint is marked Travel shows no estimate even if distances are present. Sections with no distance at all show nothing.
The app works flexibly with sections
Trailkeep does not assume a section equals one day. You can split a single day into multiple sections, use sections for multi-day legs, or structure your trip any way that suits your planning style. The formula works correctly in all cases because it derives time from actual distance rather than assuming a fixed day length.
How to get accurate numbers
The more data you provide, the closer the estimate gets to reality:
- Enter waypoint distances — open each waypoint and set the distance from the previous stop. This is the most important input — without distance, no estimate is shown.
- Upload a GPX file and place each section's start points — precise ▲/▼ per section requires GPX elevation and start points that define where each section ends on the route (each section's end is the next section's start). See Start point.
- Link a gear list to the trip — pack weight from the linked list is included in both moving time and Active burn. Without a link, estimates assume no pack load (not a generic default weight).
- Set your body weight — go to Settings → Personal details and enter your weight. The field accepts kg or lbs and converts automatically.
Trip total
The Summary section at the top of the trip planner shows a total Active figure — the sum of all section estimates — and, when at least one section has distance data, a clock + duration total (sum of per-section Naismith estimates). If any section used a terrain-based climb guess, the trip total is prefixed with ~, same as on day cards.
The formula
For those who want the details:
M = 1.5W + 2.0(W+L)(L/W)² + η(W+L)(1.5V² + 0.35VG)Where:
- M — metabolic rate (Watts)
- W — body mass (kg)
- L — pack load (kg)
- V — speed (m/s)
- G — gradient (%)
- η — terrain coefficient (1.0 for trail)
Energy in kcal = M × 0.86 × time on trail in hours.
Pandolf, K.B., Givoni, B., Goldman, R.F. (1977). Predicting energy expenditure with loads while standing or walking very slowly. Journal of Applied Physiology.