GPX Calorie Calculator

The main number — hiking burn (this route) — uses the Pandolf Load Carriage Equation (Pandolf et al., 1977), the same formula as the Trip Planner Active stat. It uses your body weight, pack weight, GPX distance, and elevation at ~4 km/h moving pace. That figure covers the whole route, not one day. For overnight trips, camp and sleep baseline is estimated separately with Mifflin-St Jeor (typical age and height defaults; your body weight from Step 2 improves the match) so you get a total daily food target once you enter days on trail.

Day hike is for trail snacks and lunch only — meals at home are not included. The pack weight estimate in Step 4 uses on-trail burn for the whole route. Overnight on trail is for full days in the backcountry: Step 3 adds camp and sleep baseline to hiking burn so you get a total daily need. Use overnight when you are packing all meals on trail.

The GPX is one continuous route. Days on trail tells the tool how long you will take to hike it — e.g. 80 km over 5 days vs 3 days. That spreads hiking burn across each day and calculates how many hours per day you are moving vs at camp, which drives the camp and sleep baseline. Without it, overnight mode cannot show per-day or total daily need, and Step 4 pack weight stays hidden until days are entered.

Pack weight has a disproportionate impact on calorie burn. The Pandolf formula includes a term for the energy cost of carrying a load, which scales non-linearly — doubling your pack weight doesn't just double the extra cost, it increases it further. This is why ultralight hikers can cover more miles on fewer calories.

No elevation data doesn't mean no estimate. When elevation data is absent, the tool applies a 5% gradient assumption — a mild but realistic incline for typical trail hiking. You'll see a notice in the route summary and in Step 3 if defaults were used. For more accuracy, use a GPX file exported from a device or app that records elevation (most GPS watches and apps do this by default).

Accurate enough for planning — typically within 15–20% of actual hiking burn for most hikers. Individual factors like fitness, terrain roughness, temperature, and pace all matter. Pandolf assumes ~4 km/h (2.5 mph) on hard-packed trail. The overnight camp baseline uses fixed age/height defaults, so total daily need may vary more person to person. Treat both numbers as planning guides, not medical targets.

Step 4 converts your calorie target into weight using 3.5 kcal/g — a standard backpacking food density. Day hikes use on-trail burn for the route only. Overnight trips use total daily need (hiking + camp/sleep) once days on trail are entered in Step 3. Many backpackers land around 500–700 g of food per day at that density, but calorie-dense menus (nuts, oil, nut butter) weigh less for the same kcal.

GPX is the standard file format for GPS routes. Any major hiking app exports them: AllTrails, Komoot, Gaia GPS, Strava, and Garmin Connect all have GPX export options. Look for a "Share" or "Export" option on your planned or completed route. Most GPS watches also generate GPX files after a hike.

100% private. Your GPX file never leaves your browser — all processing happens locally on your device. We don't store, track, or see any of your route data.

Not by itself. The large figure is hiking burn for the entire GPX — energy while moving, not sleep or camp. For overnight trips, select Overnight on trail, enter days on trail in Step 3, then read total daily need in the breakdown below. That is the number to pack food against. Day hikes only need trail snacks; breakfast and dinner at home are separate.

Yes. Upload your full route GPX, enter weights in Step 2, select Overnight on trail, and enter days on trail in Step 3. Use total daily need from the breakdown and Step 4 pack weight for your resupply math. Plan for your hardest day if daily mileage varies — the tool spreads the route evenly across the days you enter.