Trip Consumables Planner
How much food, water and stove fuel to carry, with calorie density, dry-stretch water maths and the fuel figures people habitually underestimate.
💧 Water
This is water carried, not water drunk. If there is a stream every hour you might drink four litres a day and never carry more than one. What decides pack weight is the longest gap between reliable sources, which is why that is the input rather than a daily total. Hot weather can double the drinking rate, and a litre is 2.2 pounds every time.
🔥 Fuel
An upright canister stove burns roughly 15 grams of gas per litre boiled in fair conditions. Cold, wind and altitude push that up hard, and melting snow for water is in a different league entirely — budget two and a half times the gas and then take more. Canisters cannot be split, so the plan rounds up to real sizes.
Why calorie density is the whole game
Backpacking food is judged on calories per ounce, and 100 is the benchmark. At exactly that density, 2,400 calories a day weighs 24 ounces — which is where the old rule of "a pound and a half of food per day" comes from. They are the same statement.
Push the density slider and watch what happens. Getting from 100 to 125 calories per ounce cuts a five-day food carry by two pounds without eating any less, which is more than most people save by replacing a tent. Fat is the lever: olive oil is about 250 calories per ounce, nuts and nut butters run 160 to 180, while fresh fruit and anything with water in it drags the average down fast.
How to use
- Enter trip length and expected daily effort.
- Read the food weight, water and fuel estimates.
- Check the longest dry stretch separately.
- Carry a margin on water and fuel, not on food.
Frequently asked questions
How much food should I carry per day?
Commonly quoted at around 1.5 to 2 pounds a day for a full hiking day, or roughly 3,000 to 4,500 calories depending on effort, terrain and body size. Long-distance hikers typically eat far more as the trip progresses and their metabolism adjusts.
What is calorie density and why does it matter?
Calories per unit of weight. Since you carry the weight, dense food is what keeps the pack manageable — around 125 calories per ounce is a common target. This is why fats, nuts and oils feature so heavily in long-distance food planning, and why fresh produce does not.
How much water do I need?
Roughly half a litre to a litre per hour of moderate hiking, considerably more in heat or at altitude. What matters more than the daily total is the longest dry stretch, since that determines how much you must carry at once — and water is the heaviest thing in the pack at a kilogram per litre.
How should I plan a dry stretch?
From the distance and your pace, plus a margin for the source at the far end being dry or unusable. Sources marked on maps fail seasonally, and current trip reports are worth more than the map. Running out of water is considerably more serious than running out of food.
How much stove fuel do I need?
Less than most people carry, but the estimate is easy to get wrong. It depends on how many hot meals you make, whether you boil or simmer, wind exposure and how cold the water starts. Cold conditions raise consumption sharply, and canister stoves lose performance as the canister empties and chills.
Where should I carry margin?
On water and fuel rather than food. A day short of food is unpleasant; a day short of water can be dangerous, and no fuel in cold weather means no hot food or melted snow. Food is also the easiest thing to make up at a resupply.
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