Caravan C1_02S Review: By the Official Numbers590 g per boot for ¥20,900: a buy

If it's your first pair and you're thinking about Mt. Fuji, Oze or staying in mountain huts, the C1_02S is a buy. Official numbers: about 590 g per boot, ¥20,900 incl. tax, width 3E, 15 sizes. If you'll only walk well-kept low mountains, Caravan's own C1_DL MID (about 420 g, ¥18,920) is the better fit.

The C1_02S: a classic, yet 170 g heavier than the C1_DL MID

Caravan's official weight for the C1_02S is about 590 g per boot. Caravan's C1_DL MID is about 420 g. The long-selling classic is the one that's 170 g heavier and ¥1,980 more.

Why has a heavier, pricier boot stayed the “first pair”? I judged it from the numbers and the build.

How I judged it

First I looked at where each is meant to go. The C1_02S is for “low mountains, of course, and also climbing Mt. Fuji and trekking in Oze or Yakushima”; the C1_DL MID is “ideal for getting into hiking.” Next I calculated price per gram: ¥17.7, the lowest of the 7 boots compared.

What gave me pause was the weight: about 1,180 g for the pair. I still recommend it because it has all of 15 sizes, width 3E and resoling. It suits a first pair for anyone thinking about Mt. Fuji or hut-to-hut trips.

C1_02S official specs

The weight comes from a stiffer sole

Caravan's guide to choosing hiking boots sorts soles into soft, medium and stiff, and puts medium for day hikes, low mountains and climbing Mt. Fuji. The reason given: above the tree line, Mt. Fuji turns to lava fields.

My reading is that Mt. Fuji is on the C1_02S's list because it's built as a “medium” sole.

C1_02S vs. C1_DL MID, Merrell and more: 6 boots

C1_DL MID: genuinely light, but for different trails

Its sole is “lightened by hollowing out the rubber,” saving 340 g for the pair (170 × 2). But Mt. Fuji isn't in its description of where to go. If you mostly hike well-kept trails, I recommend the C1_DL MID.

Here the C1_02S loses.

Merrell Moab 3 Synthetic Mid GTX: the one to pick for lightness

Merrell, measured at the larger 27.0 cm, is 120 g lighter (590 − 470). At the same size the gap should be wider. This is the weak spot: if you're choosing on weight, the C1_02S drops off the list.

But Merrell's men's sizes start at 25.0 cm. For smaller feet, the C1_02S is easier to fit.

Grand King GK88 and La Sportiva: too soon for a first pair

The GK88 is the step-up model, ¥8,800 more, made for snow-free multi-day traverses and backpacking with heavy loads. If you're doing day hikes and up to 1 night in a hut, it can wait until you decide to start doing traverses.

The La Sportiva TX5 Evo Mid GTX costs nearly twice as much (40,700 ÷ 20,900 = 1.95). To me, that's not a price to pay for a first pair when you don't yet know what suits you.

C1_02S sizes and colors: 68 combinations

I'll get excited here. 4 colors come in 15 sizes and 1 color in 8, for 68 combinations (4 × 15 + 8). None of the other makers' 3 boots offered a range where someone at 22.5 cm and someone at 30.0 cm can pick the same model.

Sizes come in 0.5 cm steps, and the included half insole fills the gap in between.

Things to watch

Resoling takes about 4 to 6 weeks, and GORE-TEX waterproofing after resoling isn't covered by the warranty. In Caravan's categories, it's a boot for the snow-free season.

Who is it for?

• People buying their first hiking boots who are thinking about Mt. Fuji, Oze, Yakushima or staying in mountain huts.
• People with wider feet looking for 3E.
• People with 22.5–24.5 cm or 29.0–30.0 cm feet who've had few models to choose from.

For paths and village hills only, the lighter, cheaper C1_DL MID or LOW works; for women with narrower feet, the 2E C4_03 at the same price is another option. If it's just Mt. Fuji once a year, you could also start with rental boots.

Rankings against other models are in my hiking boot rankings.

What to get with the C1_02S

It's categorized as a snow-free-season boot, so if you'll also walk low mountains in winter, you can add traction. I compared winter traction in my chain spikes and light crampons article.

When choosing your size, bring the socks you'll hike in. Thickness changes the fit, so settling on socks first in my hiking sock rankings saves you second-guessing. If you'll also take poles for Mt. Fuji's long descent, I worked out length in my trekking pole rankings.

FAQ

What's the difference between the C1_02S and the C1_DL MID?

It comes down to where you're going. If you're thinking about Mt. Fuji or hut-to-hut trips, the C1_02S; if you mostly hike well-kept trails, the C1_DL MID.

Can women wear the C1_02S?

Yes. Sizes start at 22.5 cm, and for narrower feet there's the women's C4_03 (2E, 22.5–26.0 cm).

Can the C1_02S be resoled?

Yes. The cost is set when you ask Caravan's repair room or the shop where you bought it.

Gear in this article

Ad · Images: Rakuten Ichiba

Caravan C1_02SCaravan C1_DL MIDMerrell Moab 3 Synthetic Mid GORE-TEXCaravan Grand King GK88La Sportiva TX5 Evo Mid GTX

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