How Much Food Backpacking Per Day Weight?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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A reasonable goal is about

11⁄2 to 21⁄2 lbs. of food (or 2,500 to 4,500 calories) per person per day

. A person doing 10 miles of strenuous hiking with a 4,000-foot climb will obviously burn more calories—and need a lot more food—than someone covering a few miles of relatively flat trail who plans to chill at the campsite.

How much does 10 days of food weigh backpacking?

“How much does the food you carry in your pack typically weigh?”

19-19.25 oz/day

for trips up to 10 days. I’m 5’7′′, weigh 137#, and hike on average 9-10 miles/day with occasional days up to 18 miles as the situation requires.

How much does 5 day food weigh backpacking?

For lightweight and ultralightweight backpackers, the combined weight of food and water will regularly exceed that of all the gear they are carrying. For example, five days food equates to approximately

10 lbs

(4.5 kg). Half a gallon of water is roughly 4 lbs (1.8 kg).

How much does 1 day of food weigh?

People generally eat between

three to four pounds

of food each day. Processed, calorie-dense foods add up to four pounds a lot quicker than whole, nutrient-dense foods. Want to lose weight? Think about where your food pounds come from.

How heavy should your pack be for backpacking?

A loaded backpacking pack should

not weigh more than about 20 percent of your body weight

. (If you weigh 150 pounds, your pack should not exceed 30 pounds for backpacking.) A loaded day hiking pack should not weigh more than about 10 percent of your body weight.

How much food do I need for a 4 day backpacking trip?

A reasonable goal is about

11⁄2 to 21⁄2 lbs. of food (or 2,500 to 4,500 calories) per person per day

.

How heavy is too heavy for a backpack?

Doctors recommend that backpack weight should be

between 10-15 percent of a person’s total body weight

. If a 90-pound sixth grader carried 15 percent of their weight, the backpack should be no more than 13 pounds.

How do I figure out my backpacking base weight?

Base Weight is

the total weight of your entire gear kit, excluding consumables which are food, water, and fuel

. Consumables are not included because the amount varies by trip length and conditions.

How much does a 70 Litre backpack weigh?

In terms of kilos, a full 55 litre backpack will weigh around 14kgs approximately whereas a full 70 litres backpack will weigh

around 20kg

.

How heavy should a backpacking sleeping bag be?

Ideally, a lightweight backpacker should try to keep their sleeping bag in the

2-3 pound range

and their pad around 1-1.5 pounds. Ideally, your whole system will be 4 pounds or less. When you are trekking up steep mountains with everything on your back, every pound will matter!

What does an empty backpack weigh?

Traditional Backpacks

Traditional packs are available within a range of 3.69 lbs to 5.67 lbs and a volume of 55L to 105L. When eight of such packs with varied weights are taken, the average weight of an empty traditional pack equals

4.58 lbs

with a volume of 68.8L.

Does eating a pound of food make you gain a pound?

The answer isn’t simple. There are many who subscribe to the 3,500 calorie rule, based on the findings of scientist Max Wishnofsky in 1958. “1 pound contains 3,500 calories. Logically,

eating an extra 3,500 calories, or 500 more calories each day for a week, will lead to a 1-pound weight gain

,” Live Strong reports.

How much weight does food add?

Weight Fluctuation From Food Weight

The food you consume can weigh

a few ounces per meal, up to a few pounds per day

. The water in food can cause your weight to increase as well. According to some experts, consuming two cups of water—from beverages or water in food—increases your weight by one pound.

How many pounds is a meal?

Each meal is roughly

1.2 pounds

of food so that gives us our meal per dollar figure.

How heavy is a 60L backpack?

Lightweight backpack for outdoor, Ultralight, only

2.1 pounds

for 60L large capacity,reducing the backpack loading weight so that you can carry more other items.

How do you carry a heavy hiking backpack?

How much should a students backpack weigh?

As a general rule, to prevent injury, a full backpack should weigh

no more than 10 to 20 percent of your child’s body weight

.

How many calories do you need while backpacking?

How Much Food Should I Take Backpacking? This will depend on your metabolism and how active you’re being during your trip, but just for a rough general ball park estimate, around

1.5 lbs (or 3,000 calories) per day

is a good starting point for most people.

How many calories should a backpacking meal be?

The meal should be low in fat and fiber, high in carbohydrates and contain some protein. The goal is to eat enough to provide fuel while allowing enough time to digest the food before hiking. Aim for

300 to 500 calories at least an hour before hiking

.

How do you calculate calories for backpacking?

To calculate the calories burned

multiply the MET value by your weight in pounds times 0.4536

(conversion factor from pounds to kilograms). For example, to compute the calorie expenditure for a 154.3 pound person, backpacking (7.0 MET) for 8 hours would result in 3,920 calories (7 x 154.3 x 0.4536 x 8 h).

How much does a military backpack weight?

The average approach march load was

102 pounds

,

22

consistent with other average weights of around 90 pounds when a rucksack is included. These weights, heavy as they are, may be increasing over time.

How do I know if my backpack is too heavy?

  1. It’s difficult to put on or take off.
  2. You have pain from wearing it.
  3. You feel tingling or numbness in your limbs.
  4. Strap marks show on your shoulders.
  5. Your posture changes while wearing it.

What is the average weight of a backpack for hiking?

Most beginners will carry around

30 to 35 pounds

for their first few trips (including the pack itself). As you gain more experience and upgrade gear, your weight will likely decrease to around 30 to 32 pounds. Some backpackers stay around the 30 pound mark while others strive to get their weight as low as possible.

What are the big 4 in backpacking?

Going Ultralight With The Big Four. The fastest way to lighten your load is to replace one or all of the four largest items most backpackers carry:

pack, tent, sleeping bag and pad

.

How much does camping gear weigh?

The weight of your camping gear depends entirely on how much gear you bring.

Food and water weigh the most at about 10 pounds total per person, per day

. Tents, tools, and cooking tools are usually less than 10 pounds each.

Timothy Chehowski
Author
Timothy Chehowski
Timothy Chehowski is a travel writer and photographer with over 10 years of experience exploring the world. He has visited over 50 countries and has a passion for discovering off-the-beaten-path destinations and hidden gems. Juan's writing and photography have been featured in various travel publications.