Backpacking Pack Weight Calculator

Add up your kit to find your base weight (everything in the pack minus food, water and fuel) and your full loaded weight. See how you stack up against the commonly-used lightweight and ultralight benchmarks — and exactly where your easiest grams to lose are hiding. Free, no sign-up, nothing leaves your browser.

The "Big Three" — usually most of your weight

Enter weights in grams (check the label or pop items on a kitchen scale). Leave anything you don't carry blank.

Backpackempty pack itselfg
Sheltertent / tarp / bivvy + pegsg
Sleep systembag/quilt + sleeping mat + linerg
Everything else in the pack

Packed weight only — don't count what you're wearing on the trail (that's "worn weight", below).

Cooking & waterstove, pot, fuel canister empty, filter, bottles emptyg
Packed clothingspare layers carried, not worng
Other gearelectronics, first aid, toiletries, navigation, etc.g
Consumables & worn (optional)

These don't count toward base weight: food, water and fuel get eaten/drunk; worn items are on your body, not in the pack. We use them for your total figure.

Foodfor the whole tripg
Water carried1 litre ≈ 1000 gg
Fuelgas / liquid fuel weightg
Worn weightboots, clothing & poles you wear (shown separately)g

Pack weight questions, answered

What's the difference between base weight and total weight?

Base weight is everything in your pack except consumables — food, water and fuel — because those numbers shrink as you hike. Total (or "loaded") weight adds the consumables for a fully-packed figure at the trailhead. Base weight is what experienced hikers compare, because it's the part you can actually change by buying or leaving gear.

What counts as "lightweight" or "ultralight"?

These are commonly-used community definitions rather than official standards, and they refer to base weight: roughly under 9 kg (about 20 lb) is often called lightweight, and under about 4.5 kg (10 lb) ultralight. They're guidelines, not goals in themselves — a comfortable, safe kit for your conditions always beats hitting an arbitrary number.

Where should I cut weight first?

Almost always the Big Three: backpack, shelter and sleep system. They're usually the heaviest single items, so a lighter tent or quilt saves far more than shaving grams off small gear. This calculator flags whichever of your categories is the largest share of base weight so you can see where the easy wins are.

Does worn weight count?

Not toward pack weight — boots, trousers and a jacket you're wearing sit on your body, not on your back, so they're tracked separately here. The "from the skin out" figure adds everything together if you want the complete picture of what you're carrying and wearing.