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Rebuilding civilization

Arithmetic, time and navigation

Time, speed or distance of a trip

Calculates the time, average speed or distance of a trip on foot or with any means of transport.

km
km/h
m

Adds extra time for the climb using Naismith's rule. Leave blank if the ground is flat or you don't know it.

Result

Time (hours)
— h
Time (minutes)
— min
Average speed
— km/h
Distance
— km
Pace
— min/km

How it is calculated

Time = distance ÷ speed; speed = distance ÷ time; distance = speed × time. Example: 20 km at 4 km/h takes 20 ÷ 4 = 5 h.

With elevation gain, extra time is added using Naismith's rule: 1 hour per 5 km on flat ground plus 1 hour per 600 m of climb. Example: 25 km at 5 km/h with 1200 m of climb: 25 ÷ 5 = 5 h walking, plus 1200 ÷ 600 = 2 h climbing, total 7 h.

Keep in mind

  • Walking references: 4-5 km/h on flat, easy ground; noticeably slower with a load, in the hills, or in bad weather.
  • Naismith's rule is an estimate for people in reasonable shape without long stops: add a margin for rests, food and difficult terrain.
  • The pace (minutes per kilometre) is the inverse of speed: useful for comparing against walking or running references.

See also

More tools in “Arithmetic, time and navigation”