REFERENCE // TOOL
Calorie & Ration Planner
Match calories in to the work and the cold, and check how far your rations stretch.
Estimate a daily calorie target by activity and climate, then see how many days your rations cover. Cold work raises the number sharply.
Daily calorie target
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Total needed
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Days your rations cover
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Ration units short
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How it works
Base calories come from the Dietary Guidelines adult ranges by sex and activity. Cold raises the target (heavy cold work runs about 4,500 calories a day; sustained arctic movement 5,000–7,000). About 2,000 calories a day is the minimum-function floor — below sustained intake the body burns its own tissue. In hot, dry country the real change is water: up to 3 gallons (12 L) a day, never more than 1¼ quarts an hour.
Source: FM 21-76 (2006) · Dietary Guidelines for Americans · NRC — Nutritional Needs in Cold/High-Altitude.