How to use the backpacking gear weight calculator
- List each item with its kind: carried, worn or consumable.
- Enter the weight each, choose its unit (grams, kilograms, ounces or pounds), and the count.
- Add rows for every item you take. Mixed units are fine.
- Read the base weight, the pack weight with consumables, the skin-out weight and the list of items, heaviest first.
Formula
Grams = weight x unit x count, with 1 oz = 28.349523125 g and 1 lb = 453.59237 g
Base weight = carried items
Pack weight = base weight + consumables (food, water, fuel)
Skin-out weight = pack weight + worn items
The page converts everything to grams to add it up, then shows pounds and ounces to the nearest tenth of an ounce along with kilograms.
A weekend kit
A 32 ounce tent, a 2 pound sleeping bag and an 85 gram stove make a base weight of 1,899.37 grams, which is 4 lb 3 oz (1.899 kg). Two pounds of water and three 500 gram meals add 2,407.18 grams of consumables, so the pack weighs 9 lb 7.9 oz (4.307 kg).
With 1.5 kilograms of boots worn, the skin-out weight is 12 lb 12.8 oz (5.807 kg). The heaviest carried item is the tent at 2 lb 0 oz (the sleeping bag weighs the same), and the three meals together weigh 3 lb 4.9 oz.
Base weight and why it matters
Base weight leaves out food, water and fuel because they change during a trip. That makes it the fair number for comparing gear lists, or for tracking how a kit changes as you replace items. Pack weight with consumables is what you feel at the trailhead, and skin-out weight counts everything you carry on your body as well.
For weight limits on flights see the luggage weight calculator, and for other lists the packing list generator. Distances are in the steps to miles converter, and any other unit in the unit converter.
Weighing your gear
Use a kitchen scale for small items and a luggage or hanging scale for larger ones, and weigh each item with its stuff sacks or cases. A listed weight on a package is the maker's figure and can differ from what you bring home. Update the list when you change an item so that the total stays honest.
Assumptions and limits
- Each weight is the weight of one item in the unit chosen, and the count multiplies it.
- Definitions of base weight vary a little between people, so state yours when you compare lists.
- Worn items count only toward skin-out weight, and consumables count toward pack weight.
- The page totals weights only; it does not judge whether a pack is light or heavy for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is base weight?
It is the weight of everything you carry except food, water and fuel, and without the clothes you wear. It stays the same through a trip.
What is skin-out weight?
It is everything: base weight, consumables and the clothing and gear you wear or hold. It is what you move when you walk.
How do I convert ounces to grams?
Multiply by 28.349523125. A 32 ounce tent weighs 907.18 grams.
Should water count as consumable?
Most people count it that way, because it changes as you drink it. Put it in the consumable kind so it is not part of your base weight.