Estimate food for a camping trip.
Camp food is planned by calories, then converted to weight. Activity level dominates: a relaxed car-camping day needs around 2400 kcal per adult, moderate day hiking 3200, and strenuous hiking with a pack 4200 or more — nearly double the relaxed figure. Children under 12 need roughly two thirds of an adult's intake. Converting calories to packed weight uses about 350 kcal per 100 grams, a realistic average across dried, tinned and fresh camp food, which lands most trips near 900 grams per person per day. Contingency meals are added separately because they are insurance against a delayed exit, not part of the plan.
Daily calories
Group kcal = adults x adult rate + children x adult rate x 0.65
Packed weight
Food kg = total kcal / 3500
Because hiking with a loaded pack can nearly double resting energy expenditure. Underfeeding on a strenuous trip does not just cause hunger — it degrades decision-making, coordination and warmth, all of which matter for safety. Plan food to the hardest day, not the average.
Prioritise fat, which carries roughly 9 kcal per gram against 4 for carbohydrate and protein. Nuts, oils, cheese and dried meats deliver far more energy per gram of pack weight than fresh food. On a multi-day trip that difference in density outweighs almost every other packing decision.