Half Dome Packing List: Every Gram for a 14-Hour Day

For Half Dome you need 3–4 litres of water, about 3,000 kcal of food, shoes with sticky rubber, grippy gloves for the 120 m cable section, a headlamp, sun protection and a wind layer — all in a 12–25 litre pack. Total carried weight should stay between 5 and 7 kg, because you lift every gram 1,460 vertical metres.

The Half Dome Trail is a strange packing problem: a single day, but a 23 km, 10–14 hour single day that starts in a 30°C valley and ends on an exposed 2,694 m summit. Underpack and the route punishes you; overpack and the Sub Dome staircase punishes you more. This list is built around that tension — and around the National Park Service's blunt statistic that rangers respond to dozens of incidents on this route every season, most involving water, footwear or weather.

Water and food: where most hikers get it wrong

There is no reliable water after the Merced River near Little Yosemite Valley, roughly the halfway point of the climb. From there it's dry granite in full sun. Carry capacity for 4 litres in summer (3 in cooler months) and a small filter or purification tabs — refilling at the river on the descent beats hauling a fifth litre up Sub Dome. Food: a 75 kg hiker burns roughly 3,500–4,500 kcal over this profile — check your own number with the hiking calorie calculator — so pack around 3,000 kcal of things you'll actually eat while tired: wraps, salted nuts, bars, gels for the final climb. Add electrolytes for summer; cramping calves on the cables is a known and avoidable epic.

The cables kit: gloves and shoes decide your day

Two items dominate the last 120 metres. First, gloves with rubberised palms — the steel cables are polished by thousands of hands and your grip is your safety system; cheap hardware-store rubber-dipped gloves outperform expensive leather here (a pile of abandoned pairs usually sits at the cable base, but don't count on it — pack your own at 60 g). Second, shoes with genuinely sticky rubber: approach shoes or trail runners with fresh tread. The granite on the cable route is glacier-polished at 45 degrees; worn lugs that were fine on the Mist Trail's steps become skates up there, and the NPS Half Dome page singles out footwear as a factor in cable-section accidents.

Complete list with weights

Which pack carries this best?

The load peaks around 6–7 kg at the trailhead and shrinks all day — ideal vest-pack territory. The Salomon ADV Skin 12 carries 2 litres up front and rides motionless on the cables, though 12 litres is tight once a September insulation layer joins the list. The ~300 g Zpacks Bagger Ultra 25L is the sweet spot for most hikers — all of the table above fits with margin. Cold-season hikers and photographers carrying real layers should step up to the Patagonia Ascensionist 35L, a climbing pack that stays stable when you're using your hands. Whatever you carry, check the National Weather Service point forecast the night before: a 30% thunderstorm probability rewrites this list (leave earlier, carry the shell higher in the pack) or cancels the day outright.

What not to bring

No via-ferrata lanyard kits — clipping the Half Dome cables sounds safer but creates dangerous bottlenecks at the stanchions and the NPS advises against it; trained grip plus gloves is the system the route is managed around. No cotton anything. No 2-litre "just in case" extra water above the Merced. No full-frame camera unless you've trained with it. The same discipline applies to the Sierra's other giant day, and our Mount Whitney packing list shows how the calculus changes at 4,421 m on the Mount Whitney Trail — while the much shorter Angels Landing day in Zion needs a fraction of this kit, as our Angels Landing packing list shows. As of 2026, permits remain mandatory in cables season and are checked at the Sub Dome base; the permit itself is the one item with no substitute.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much water do you need for Half Dome?

Carry capacity for 4 litres in summer and drink before you're thirsty — the last reliable water is the Merced River near Little Yosemite Valley, about halfway up. Bringing a 60–90 g filter and refilling there on the descent is lighter than carrying everything from the trailhead.

Do you need gloves for the Half Dome cables?

Yes. The 120 m cable section is polished steel over 45-degree granite, and rubber-palmed grip gloves roughly double your effective hold, especially when the cables are cold or damp. A pile of abandoned gloves often sits at the base, but supply isn't guaranteed — bring your own 60 g pair.

Are trail runners okay for Half Dome?

Yes, provided the tread is fresh and the rubber is sticky — many experienced hikers prefer trail runners or approach shoes to boots here. What fails on Half Dome's polished granite is worn lugs and hard rubber, not low ankles. Check your soles before the trip, not at the cable base.

How heavy should your Half Dome pack be?

5–7 kg at the trailhead, dominated by water (up to 4 kg). Use a 12–25 litre pack; anything bigger invites packing weight you must haul up 1,460 vertical metres and down again over 10–14 hours. Cold-season hikes with extra insulation justify up to 8 kg in a 35 litre pack.