🎒 Backpack Weight Calculator
List every item you'll carry, add its weight in grams, and see your total pack weight in kilograms and pounds — plus how it stacks up against your body weight so you can pack lighter and hike happier.
🧮 Weigh Your Pack
What is a Backpack Weight Calculator?
It's a simple gear-list tool: enter each thing you plan to carry with its weight, and it totals the lot, converting to kilograms and pounds. Add your body weight and it rates the load as a share of it, using the trail rule of thumb that a full pack is most comfortable under about 20% of body weight.
Use it to spot the heavy items worth swapping, to sanity-check a load before a multi-day trek, or to see the difference a lighter tent or sleeping bag makes. Pack weight is one of the biggest factors in how far and how comfortably you can hike, so it pays to know your number before you set off.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How much should my backpack weigh for hiking?
A widely used rule of thumb is to keep a loaded backpack under about 20% of your body weight, and day packs closer to 10%. This calculator adds up your items and, if you enter your body weight, shows the load as a percentage so you can judge whether it's comfortable, moderate, or heavy for you.
What's the difference between pack weight and base weight?
Total pack weight is everything you carry, including consumables like food, water, and fuel that you use up over a trip. Base weight strips those out to give the fixed weight you carry every day — the fairer number for comparing gear setups. Use this tool for the loaded total and the base weight calculator for base weight.
How do I reduce my backpack weight?
Weigh every item, then target the heaviest three — usually the 'big three' of pack, shelter, and sleep system. Swap for lighter alternatives, leave duplicates and 'just in case' items at home, share group gear, and repackage food and toiletries to cut packaging. Small savings across many items add up quickly.
Should I include water and food in my pack weight?
Yes — for a realistic trail weight, include everything on your back, since a few litres of water and several days of food can add several kilograms. When you want to compare setups between trips, look at base weight instead, which excludes those consumables.