🥾 How fast do you actually travel in the field?

Real-world speed based on terrain, derived from Naismith's rule and military movement rate tables — to estimate travel time without getting caught out by nightfall.

★ Dense jungle cuts your flat-trail speed by 5 — and can multiply your energy cost per kilometer by 12.

★ Snowshoes remain 3 times faster than tackling the same deep snow without gear.

★ Night travel doesn't just slow you down: it jacks up your injury risk on the exact same terrain.

★ Carrying an injured person slows your pace to around 1.2 km/h, barely faster than a crawl.

15 rows

Descent (trail, moderate slope) ≈

6 km/h

Flat trail, good surface

5 km/h

In a group (easy trail, speed of slowest member) ≈

4,2 km/h

Off-trail, open forest ≈

3 km/h

Snowshoes (deep snow) ≈

3 km/h

Snow 30 cm, no snowshoes ≈

2,5 km/h

Dune sand ≈

2,5 km/h

Scree / talus ≈

2 km/h

Steep ascent (500 m elevation gain/h) ≈

2 km/h

Dense brush ≈

1,8 km/h

Swamp / peat bog ≈

1,8 km/h

At night (off-trail) ≈

1,5 km/h

With an injured person (improvised carry) ≈

1,2 km/h

Jungle (heavy bushwhacking) ≈

1 km/h

Deep snow (>60 cm), no snowshoes ≈

1 km/h

Sources (3)

Other numbers

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