Rucking Calorie Calculator
Calories burned rucking, using the Pandolf load-carriage equation.
Enter your values
Results update instantly as you type — no submit needed.
- Calories burned
- 338 kcal
- Calories per hour
- 338 kcal/h
- Distance covered
- 3 mi
- Calories per mile
- 113 kcal/mi
- Same walk with no pack
- 295 kcal
- Metabolic rate
- 393 W
The load adds about 43 kcal.
Working
- 1Convert weights to kilograms and pace to metres per second.
- 2Apply the Pandolf equation for load carriage to get metabolic watts.
- 3Multiply watts by seconds and divide by 4184 to convert joules to kilocalories.
Quick answer
Rucking burns roughly 40–80% more calories than unloaded walking. This calculator uses the Pandolf equation, which accounts for body mass, external load, walking speed, terrain factor and grade.
M = 1.5W + 2.0(W+L)(L/W)² + η(W+L)(1.5v² + 0.35vG)
How to use the Rucking Calorie Calculator
- 1Enter body weight and the weight of your loaded ruck.
- 2Set pace, duration, grade and terrain.
- 3Compare loaded vs unloaded calorie burn.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories does rucking burn?
A 180 lb person rucking 35 lb at 3 mph on flat blacktop burns roughly 500–600 calories an hour — about 40–60% more than walking the same pace unloaded.
Does pack weight or pace matter more?
Pace has the larger effect because the speed term is quadratic, but heavy loads (above about 30% of body weight) become disproportionately costly.
Is the Pandolf equation accurate?
It is the standard military model for load carriage and is accurate within about 10% for steady walking on graded terrain; it over-predicts at running speeds.