Backpack Weight Calculator
Add gear items to calculate total hiking pack weight and check it against a guideline percentage of your body weight.
Gear Items
#1
#2
#3
#4
Total Pack Weight
18.0 lb
% of Body Weight
11.3%
Within your 20% guideline
How to Calculate Backpack (Pack) Weight
Add every piece of gear you plan to carry — pack, tent, sleeping bag, food, water, and everything else — along with your body weight, and this calculator totals your pack weight and expresses it as a percentage of your body weight. That percentage is the number most hikers actually care about, since the same pack weight feels very different on a 120 lb hiker versus a 220 lb hiker.
It's commonly recommended to keep total pack weight under about 20% of body weight for comfortable multi-day hiking, though this is a guideline, not a hard rule — fitness level, trip length, and terrain all shift what feels sustainable. Adjust the threshold field to match a target that suits you.
Example
A 160 lb hiker carrying 18 lb of gear is at 18 ÷ 160 × 100 = 11.25% of body weight — comfortably under the common 20% guideline. The same 18 lb pack on a 90 lb hiker would be 20% of body weight, right at the upper end of what's typically recommended.
Common Use Cases
- Checking a backpacking or hiking pack load against a comfort guideline before a trip.
- Deciding which gear to cut or swap for something lighter to hit a target pack weight.
- Comparing pack weight across different trip lengths or gear setups.
FAQs
Where does the 20% guideline come from?
It's a widely cited rule of thumb among hikers and backpacking guides rather than a strict medical or scientific threshold. Ultralight backpackers often aim well below it (10-15%), while some expedition-style trips with heavy technical gear may exceed it out of necessity.
Should I include water and food weight?
Yes — include the full weight of food and water you'll be carrying at the start of a leg, since that's when your pack is heaviest. Water in particular adds up fast at roughly 2.2 lb (1 kg) per liter.
Does this account for base weight versus total weight?
No — this calculator totals everything you enter as one figure. If you want to track "base weight" (gear excluding consumables like food, water, and fuel) separately, list those items in a second pass without your consumables.