Pack weight calculator
How heavy is your pack compared with you? Enter your body weight and the loaded pack, or build a gear list, and see the share next to the rules of thumb hikers use.
of your body weight
A little over the 10% rule of thumb for a day pack: 0.5 kg more than 7.0 kg.
- Pack weight
- 7.5 kg
- 10% of body weight
- 7.0 kg
- 15% of body weight
- 10.5 kg
- 20% of body weight
- 14.0 kg
What the weight is made of
The rules of thumb
Outdoor guidance often repeats two numbers. The equipment maker Mammut calls it a golden rule among seasoned hikers that a loaded pack should not exceed about 10% of body weight for day trips and 20% for tours of several days. Backpacker magazine gives the same 20% ceiling for beginner backpackers. For children's backpacks, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises no more than 15% of the child's body weight; its advice is written for school bags, but it is a sensible yardstick for a child's day pack too.
These are starting points, not limits. Fitness, a well-fitted hip belt, terrain, heat, trip length and experience all change what is comfortable, and very light people may find 20% hard to reach.
Using the gear list
Sort each item into gear, food, water, fuel or worn. Gear alone is your base weight, the part that only shrinks with lighter kit. Food, water and fuel are consumables that get lighter as you go. Worn items, like boots, are shown but left out of the pack total. A litre of water weighs a kilogram (2.2 lb), so the water button adds it by volume. Your list is saved in this browser only, and you can copy it, download it as CSV or print it.
Sources
- Mammut. How much weight can a backpack hold?
- Backpacker. How beginners should pack for a backpacking trip.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Backpack safety.
Questions
Where does the 20% figure come from?
It is a rule of thumb shared by outfitters and hiking magazines, not a limit set by research. Treat it as a prompt to leave things at home, then go by how the pack feels on a long day.
Should I count what I wear?
Not in the pack total. Boots and the clothes you walk in are carried by your body, so we list them separately as worn weight.
Is my gear list stored anywhere?
Only in this browser's local storage, so it is there next time you visit. It never leaves your device. Clear the list to remove it.