Pack-Out Trips, Load %, & Trip Budget
How many trips a backcountry pack-out will take, and whether your load is in a sustainable range.
How this works
This simply divides the total meat and gear weight by however much you can carry per trip to find the number of trips needed, then separately checks that per-trip load against your own body weight as a percentage — a widely used way backcountry hunters and backpackers judge whether a pack load is sustainable over rough terrain.
Why the total time estimate matters
Multiplying trips by round-trip time per load gives a realistic total time commitment for the pack-out, which matters enormously for planning daylight, food, and whether you need to camp partway through a multi-day pack-out. Steep or technical terrain will push round-trip times higher than flat ground, so use your own realistic pace rather than a guess.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of body weight is safe to carry per trip?
A widely cited sustainable range is roughly 20–30% of your body weight per load — loads much above that increase injury risk and slow you down badly on uneven terrain.
Is it faster to carry a heavier load in fewer trips?
Not always — pushing a dangerously heavy load can slow your pace enough on rough terrain that it's actually faster overall to take one more trip at a lighter, more sustainable weight.
Does this account for how steep or technical the terrain is?
Not directly — you supply your own round-trip time estimate, so factor in realistic pacing for steep or technical ground yourself rather than using a flat-ground pace.
Not happy with our calculations or how it works? Let us know.
Have a suggestion for a calculator you don't see here? Let us know.