Over the years, camels have frequently been used as tourist attractions wherein people can ride them and explore the area they are visiting.

There has been some debate about how ethical this it as it can cause injury,

So how much weight can a camel comfortably carry?

In this article we will explore not only that but also compare against different camel breeds.

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How Much Weight can a Camel Carry?

A lot of tourist attraction companies put riding weight limits on their camels. Usually they are around 120kg, which is about two small to average humans. It makes sense that different types of camels have different weight limits. Dromedary camels can only carry about 100kg of weight whilst Bactrian camels can carry up to 200kg.

The Wild Bactrian camel can carry 400kg, much more than the domesticated breeds. Whilst a horse can only carry about 20% of its weight, camels can carry a much larger percentage of their body weight.

We’ll explore the variables of riding camels and different species in this article

What is the weight limit for riding a camel?

Depending on the species of camel, the weight limit can range from 100kg to 200kg, most being around the 120kg mark. A lot of people question why the riding limit is much lower than the actual weight a camel can carry.

This is because the continued changing of riders puts a lot more exertion on the camel’s back and legs, so the weight is limited to prevent any injuries to the camels.

There are also a lot of ethically grey areas when it comes to camel riding, so having the limit far below the maximum weight helps to put rider’s minds at ease.

How many people can sit on a camel?

The maximum amount of people that can ride a camel at the same time is two, a lot of companies also specify that there can only be two children at any time and only one adult.

This does again depend on the species of camel you are riding, but I have never heard of a company allowing more than two people to ride a camel at the same time.

Does age and gender make a difference

How much weight can a female camel carry?

Female camels usually weigh much less than male camels. Most fully grown male camels weigh in at 400kg-600kg, whilst female camels weigh on average 300kg-550kg.

Generally, a working camel can carry about half of their body weight throughout the day, meaning that a female camel could carry an average 150kg of weight.

However, this measurement is for a working camel, so the weight limit would be lowered when riding to accommodate for people getting on and off of the camel.

How much weight can a male camel carry?

As we discussed before, male camels weigh about 400kg-600kg and working camels can carry about half of their weight so males will be able to carry a maximum of 300kg.

Once again this is for a single load and does not account for the pressure of mounting and dismounting riders. But because of their bigger size and larger carry capacity, male camels are more commonly used as riding camels.

How much weight can a baby camel carry?

A baby camel is only able to carry much less weight than an adult camel. Bactrian camels weigh about 36kg at birth. They are only able to take riders at age 6 for a very short time and are nursed for the first year and a half.

Baby camels are able to start walking just several hours after birth, meaning they can carry weight at quite a young age, trainers often start teaching them to carry about saddles and small duffle bags at two years old.

However, they are not able to carry their full load until five years old, at this point they weigh about 300kg so can carry a maximum of 150kg for a very short time. They reach full weight at 6 years.

Weight limits for riding Camels - Depending on the Different Camel Breeds — Weight limits for riding Camels – Depending on the Different Camel Breeds

What about different camel species

How much can the Dromedary (Arabian) camel carry?

Dromedary camels are one of the lighter species of camels, fully grown Dromedary camels can weigh between 300kg-600kg. If a Dromedary camel went on one continuous trek through the cool night, they can carry an average 150kg for a length of 60km.

When riding the weight limit is about 100kg for a Dromedary camel, but because of their lower carrying capacity, they are not as often used as other species of camels.

How much weight can a Bactrian camel carry?

Bactrian camel’s are bigger than Dromedary camels, they weigh in at an average of 400kg-700kg. They are shorter and heavier and have two humps compared to the Dromedary camel’s one hump. Working Bactrian camels can carry loads of about 200kg for long distances.

Bactrian camels are more commonly used for riding for their greater carrying capacity, due to the mounting and dismounting they weight is still set at only about 120kg.

How much weight can a Wild Bactrian camel carry?

The Wild Bactrian camel is the largest camel species and it is sadly critically endangered. Wild Bactrian camels have an average weight of 680kg and have been known to carry maximum weights of 450kg, much more than domesticated species like the Dromedary can carry.

They are able to carry weights larger than 200kg for long distances, up to about 50km.

Can a camel carry more than a horse?

Camels are frequently used as working animals because they are able to carry heavier loads than horses at about the same speed. Horses can carry about 20% of their body weight before stress and strain is exerted on the horse.

Meaning an average horse, weighing about 500kg, would only be able to carry 100kg, a Dromedary camel of that weight could carry 120kg and a Bactrian camel could carry 200kg. Camels are also able to run faster than horses for long distances and are able to carry heavy amounts of cargo further throughout the day.