Backpack Weight Calculator
Enter your body weight, base gear weight, trip length and luxury allowance. The calculator adds consumables at honest rates, totals the pack, and gives the percentage-of-body-weight verdict that decides whether the trip is a joy or a negotiation.
Packing lists count items; this counts what your spine counts. The 20% rule, the consumables swing and the big-three leverage are all laid out instead of sold as an ultralight course.
How to use
- Weigh your packed bag without food and water - that is base gear plus luxuries.
- Enter trip days; food and water are added at 0.8 kg and 2 litres per standard plan.
- Read the verdict: under 20% disappears, past 25% every kilometre hurts - trim the big three first.
Frequently asked questions
How heavy should a backpack be?
Under 20% of body weight for comfort: a 70 kg hiker carries 14 kg happily, 17.5 kg with fitness, and 21 kg by grit alone. Day hikes run lighter but water alone can take 2-3 kg in summer.
What are the big three in backpacking?
Shelter, sleep system and pack - usually over half of base weight between them. Two kilos saved across the big three buys more comfort than a whole drawer of titanium accessories, and usually costs less than one.
How much water should I carry hiking?
About half a litre per hour of hot-weather walking, but strategy beats capacity: knowing reliable refill points lets you carry 1 litre instead of 3 - two free kilos. Check sources before relying on them.
Can I bring luxury items backpacking?
One, deliberately chosen - a paperback, real coffee, dry camp socks. The morale rule works because it is finite: one defended luxury beats seven accumulated comforts that quietly rebuild the 25% pack you were escaping.