Half Dome Gear Checklist
Half Dome is a 10 to 12 hour day for most hikers, and it ends with 400 feet of steep granite between two steel cables. The gear that decides the day is grippy gloves for the cables, boots that hold on wet Mist Trail steps and polished rock, a real headlamp for the dark descent, and enough water and salty food for the whole round trip. The hikers we read most often regret running out of water and trusting the pile of old gloves at the base.
What shapes your gear on Half Dome
- Water
- The park suggests at least a gallon (4 liters) per person to the summit. The only treated water is a summer fountain at the Vernal Fall footbridge. River water up to Little Yosemite Valley must be boiled, treated or filtered, and hikers treat everything above it as dry.
- Cables
- The cables usually go up the Friday before Memorial Day and come down after the second Monday in October. The park says nearly all fatal falls from the cables happened on wet rock, and that you should not go up with storm clouds in the area.
- Length of the day
- Most hikers take 10 to 12 hours, and the park suggests a firm turnaround time such as 3:30 pm. Hikers usually start between 3 and 5 am by headlamp so they finish the cables before the afternoon storm window.
- Wildlife and food
- Black bears grab packs from hikers by day as well as by night, and squirrels and jays raid unattended bags. The park says to keep food within arm's reach and never leave a pack at the base of the cables.
- Toilets
- Toilets sit at four points: the Vernal Fall footbridge, Emerald Pool, the top of Nevada Fall and the Little Yosemite Valley camp. Anywhere else, waste must be buried six inches deep, 100 feet from water and trails, and toilet paper packed out.
What the agency requires on Half Dome
Your Half Dome permit
You need a permit for Half Dome whenever the cables are up. Day hikers get one through the March lottery or the daily lottery two days ahead. Backpackers request it with their wilderness permit.
A way to pack out toilet paper, and a trowel if you may need one
Away from the trail's toilets, the park requires solid waste to be buried six inches deep and at least 100 feet from water or trails, with toilet paper packed out.
Everything you carry in, including your gloves
There is no trash service on the trail and all trash must be packed out. The park asks hikers to carry their cable gloves down, because hundreds of pounds of rotting gloves pile up otherwise.
What hikers carry on Half Dome
Gloves with a rubber or leather palm
Hikers say grip on the cables matters most on the way down, when forearms are tired and the cables slide through your hands. Cheap work gloves or old cycling gloves are the usual choice.
One hiker with sweaty hands taped the glove cuffs so they would not slip off.
From Pack Your Tent, Travels With Elle, Hiking Project and More Than Just Parks
Boots or light hikers with sticky soles
The day is all granite, waterfall mist on the Mist Trail steps and polished rock near the top. Hikers want tread and grip more than ankle height, and the park names blisters and ankle injuries as the most common problems.
From Yosemite National Park (NPS), Pack Your Tent and Travels With Elle
A headlamp with spare batteries
Most hikers start before sunrise and many come down the Mist Trail after dark. The park says each person needs a real light, and a phone does not count.
From Yosemite National Park (NPS), Pack Your Tent and Travels With Elle
3 to 4 liters of water capacity plus a filter
Hikers carry a hydration bladder or bottles for the whole climb and refill from the Merced River or the creek in Little Yosemite Valley, filtering first. One guide says to reach the summit with half your water left.
From Pack Your Tent, Travels With Elle and More Than Just Parks
Salty snacks and electrolytes
The park lists dehydration and low electrolytes among the illnesses it sees here and suggests salty snacks with plenty of water. Hikers add electrolyte tablets and pack fuel for the descent, not only the climb.
From Yosemite National Park (NPS), Travels With Elle and More Than Just Parks
Trekking poles
Hikers use them to save their knees on the long descent of the Mist Trail steps, then stow them before the cables.
From Travels With Elle
A warm layer and a wind or rain shell
A pre-dawn start is cold, midday is hot, and the summit can be windy. Hikers pack a light puffy or a shell that fits in a daypack.
From Travels With Elle and Pack Your Tent
A harness and lanyard, for some
Some hikers clip into the cables as they climb in case they or someone near them slips. It is a personal choice, not a park requirement.
From More Than Just Parks and Hiking Project
Sock liners and blister patches
On an 18-mile granite day, hikers who wore liners report fewer blisters than friends who did not, and blister patches get shared around the group.
From Travels With Elle
6 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Half Dome
Too little water
One group of six ran out on the way down, a few miles above the Vernal Fall footbridge, and called it the worst part of the day. The park suggests a gallon per person to the summit.
Counting on the glove pile at the base
There is usually a heap of gloves left by other hikers at the bottom of the cables, but hikers say you cannot count on a pair that fits. The park treats that pile as trash and asks you to pack your own gloves out.
From Pack Your Tent, Hiking Project and Yosemite National Park (NPS)
A pack left at the base of the cables
Squirrels, jays and bears get into unattended packs. Carry it up or keep it within reach.
Sneakers with worn tread
Hikers say running shoes with little tread slip on mist-wet steps and polished granite, and the park says not to go up the cables without sturdy footwear.
From Travels With Elle, More Than Just Parks and Hiking Project
Gear questions for Half Dome
Do I need gloves for the Half Dome cables?
They are not required, but the park says many people find grippy gloves very helpful, and nearly every hiker we read brings a pair. Bring your own and carry them back down.
From Yosemite National Park (NPS), Pack Your Tent and Travels With Elle
How much water should I bring to hike Half Dome?
The park suggests at least a gallon (4 liters) per person to the summit. Hikers carry 3 to 4 liters and a filter, refilling from the Merced River or Little Yosemite Valley.
Do I need a harness for the Half Dome cables?
No. The park does not require one. A few hikers clip in with a harness and lanyard for peace of mind, and most climb with gloves alone.
From More Than Just Parks, Hiking Project and Yosemite National Park (NPS)
Is a phone flashlight enough for the Half Dome hike?
No. The park says every hiker needs a good headlamp or flashlight with extra batteries, and that a phone does not count.
Sources
- Half Dome Day Hike · Yosemite National Park (NPS) · Agency
- Half Dome Packing List: 22 Essentials To Bring On Your Hike · Travels With Elle, Elle L. · Blog
- Is Half Dome Dangerous? Why We Don't Recommend the Hike · More Than Just Parks, Will Pattiz · Blog
- Half Dome Trail · Hiking Project · Forum thread
- Half Dome via the Cables · Pack Your Tent · Blog