HOW TO CALCULATE CALORIES FOR ANK BACKCOUNTRY HUNT - BACKPACK HUNTING FOOD

July 1, 2025

Fuel Smart. Hunt Hard. Don’t Guess.

Backcountry hunting in the Western mountains is a physical war zone. It’s not just about grit or gear—it’s about energy. And if your body runs out of fuel, your hunt can end fast. Best case, you suffer. Worst case, you pack it in early and miss the opportunity of a lifetime.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly how to calculate your calorie needs for a backcountry hunt—so you know what to pack, how to fuel, and how to keep your edge from day one to the final hike out.

Step 1: Understand Your BMR (Base Metabolic Rate)

Your BMR is the number of calories your body needs just to stay alive—before any hiking, packing, or stalking. It’s the foundation of your daily energy needs.

We’ll use the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation, which is more accurate than outdated or generic hunting industry guesses.

Men’s BMR Formula:

Women’s BMR Formula:

Conversion Help:

Pounds to kilograms: lbs × 0.453
Inches to centimeters: inches × 2.54

Example:

Weight: 176 lbs = 80 kg
Height: 5’10” = 178 cm
Age: 35

Plug it in:
10 × 80 + 6.25 × 178 – 5 × 35 + 5 = 1,743 calories/day (BMR)

That’s your baseline—just to stay alive.

Step 2: Add Calories for Physical Exertion

BMR is just your base. Now add the calories burned from moving through the mountains.

Rule of Thumb:

~500 calories per hour of sustained hiking with elevation and weight.

Estimate how many hours you’ll be hiking or exerting hard effort each day.

Example:
10 hours × 500 calories = 5,000 calories
Add that to your BMR of 1,743 = 6,743 calories/day

That’s your daily goal just to break even—not lose ground.

Step 3: Plan Your Food by Calories Per Hour

Take that total (6,743) and divide by the number of hours you’ll be active.

674 calories per hour = what you need to eat or sip consistently to keep pace.

If you eat every two hours, that’s about 1,350 calories per meal/snack—which means you need calorie-dense foods.

Step 4: Choose Food With High Calories Per Ounce

Lightweight food is great. But calories per ounce is critical.

Minimum goal:

100 calories per ounce
Optimal target:
125+ calories per ounce

Choose smart. Pack heavy fuel in a light load.

Step 5: Practice Before Your Hunt

Don’t wait until you’re 8 miles deep to experiment.
Test your backcountry food during day hikes or training weekends. See how it digests, how it energizes you, and whether it causes GI issues.

This is especially important at altitude, where your appetite may drop but your need for calories skyrockets.

Alternative Calorie Estimation (Not Recommended)

Some sources suggest using body weight:

20–25 calories per pound of body weight

Example:

175 lbs × 22 = 3,850 calories/day
225 lbs × 24 = 5,400 calories/day

This gets you close—but it’s still guesswork. Use it only if you can’t calculate your BMR.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Let a Calorie Deficit Ruin Your Hunt

I hear it all the time—hunters only packing 2,000–2,500 calories a day. That barely covers their BMR, let alone the work they’re doing on the mountain.

And when your body is calorie-depleted, everything suffers:

Physical recovery
Decision making
Mental resilience
Long-term durability

Proper fueling isn’t a luxury. It’s mission-critical.

What’s Next?

In upcoming content, I’ll cover:

My favorite calorie-dense backcountry foods
How to balance fat, carbs, and protein for sustained energy
Real thoughts on the carnivore diet for hunters
And how hydration and electrolytes impact your performance

If you’re serious about backcountry hunting and want to hunt smarter—not harder—join the TEAM BACKBONE community.

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