REASONS TO BUY
Very long battery life
Tough and durable
Provides a nice soft diffused light
REASONS TO AVOID
Glow-in-the-dark doesn't work very well
Hook on the bottom is not very sturdy
Hard to reattach bottom after replacing batteries
Ultimate Survival Technologies 30-Day Duro Review
A durable lantern with exceptional battery life for extended use that you can rely on when the lights go out
Credit: Ultimate Survival Technologies
Price: $60 List
Manufacturer:
Ultimate Survival Technologies
By Ben Applebaum-Bauch ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ Dec 2, 2022
RELATED: Best Lantern of 2023
Our Verdict
The Ultimate Survival Technologies 30-Day Duro is a rugged, battery-powered glow-in-the-dark lantern that lasts for 30+ days on its lowest setting. That's 30 days straight, day and night, for 24 hours a day. We tested and verified this claim. It is bulkier than many of its competitors, so it's not going to be a backpacker's dream by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a quality light for anything front country, including power outages (as long as you have the batteries on hand). This light is for the homebody who may rev up the RV and go camping on a summer holiday weekend.
Editor's Note: We updated this review on December 2, 2022, to include new testing information related to battery life.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Ultimate Survival Technologies 30-Day Duro | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  |  | | |
| Price | $60 List $34.98 at Amazon | $70 List $69.95 at REI | $20.00 List Check Price at Backcountry | $30 List $29.95 at REI | $44.95 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Very long battery life, tough and durable, provides a nice soft diffused light | Bright, USB charge port, no disposable batteries | Affordable, several light tone settings, 360-degree kickstand, clever sundial | Compact and lightweight, charges other devices, versatile for individual use | Solar powered, packs up easily, bright |
| Cons | Glow-in-the-dark doesn't work very well, hook on the bottom is not very sturdy, hard to reattach bottom after replacing batteries | Durability concerns, hard to look at | Not submersible, no USB output | Difficult to hang, need an outlet or battery pack to charge | Light array difficult to arrange, carrying case awkward to store |
| Bottom Line | A durable lantern with exceptional battery life for extended use that you can rely on when the lights go out | This powerful lantern with a rechargeable battery (via electricity or a hand crank) is our top choice for camping trips and power outages | A lightweight, compact, and versatile lantern that is easy on your bank account | This pocket-sized, flashlight-lantern combo is a great option for personal use while car camping | These packable, convenient string lights are excellent for car camping or a summer cookout |
| Rating Categories | Ultimate Survival T... | Goal Zero Lighthous... | BioLite SunLight | Goal Zero Lighthous... | MPOWERD Luci Solar... |
| Brightness (45%) | |||||
| Battery Life (20%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (15%) | |||||
| Features (10%) | |||||
| Weight (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Ultimate Survival T... | Goal Zero Lighthous... | BioLite SunLight | Goal Zero Lighthous... | MPOWERD Luci Solar... |
| Weight (with Batteries) | 29.3 oz | 19.8 oz | 3.4 oz | 3.1 oz | 11.4 oz |
| Rechargeable? | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Manufacturer Listed Runtimes | Low: 30 days High: 12 hrs |
Low, one side: 320 hrs Low, both sides: 180 hrs High, one side: 5 hrs High, both sides: 2.5 hrs |
Low: 50 hrs High: 3 hrs + 4 hrs reserve mode |
Low: 170 hrs High: 7 hrs |
Low: 20 hrs |
| Measured Runtime (Highest Setting) | 9.0 hrs | 3.2 hrs | 4.5 hrs | 3.75 | 5.0 hrs |
| Lumens | 1000 | 600 | 100 | Lantern: 150 Flashlight: 120 |
100 |
| Size (inches) | 7.2 x 3.75 | 4.5 x 5 x 6.5in | 3.35 x 3.39 x .91 | 4 x 1.75 x 1.2 | 2 x 5 x 5 (Collapsed) |
| Number of Batteries | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Battery Type | D | Rechargable | Rechargable Li-Ion | Rechargeable | Rechargeable |
| Waterproof Rating | IPX4 | Not specified | IPX4 | IPX6 | IPX4 |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
The UST 30-Day Duro puts out 30 lumens on the lowest setting for 24 hours a day and just keeps going and going and going. It lasted for 33 days in our testing, using a set of generic batteries on its lowest setting. It glows in the dark, has four settings, and a sturdy, rubberized, impact-resistant base. This light scores well for its brightness and durability. It has some minor annoyances, but even so, with no glaring weaknesses, it's still towards the front of the pack.
Performance Comparison
This mid-size lantern offers solid utility, especially when getting the most out of your batteries is a top priority.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Brightness
This light puts out a blasting 1000 lumens on high. The frosted dome makes the light softer than it otherwise would be without it. The medium setting puts out 400 lumens, and the low and SOS modes both glow at 30 lumens. You have the option of taking the dome light cover off and hanging it upside down by its plastic hook in order to illuminate a larger area with slightly more light.
It doesn't have the same dimmability as many of the other models in this review. It just goes from 1000 to 400 to 30 lumens. However, its longevity makes it well worth keeping around.
The 30-Day Duro Glow has three settings; high, medium and low.
Credit: Valentine Cullen
Battery Life
While the UST 30-Day Duro boasts a ridiculous battery life of 30 days on its lowest setting, we wanted to see how long it would last on its highest setting. In our ten years of testing, we've discovered that a lantern's minimum brightness setting is often too dim to be of much use.
Turned up to its maximum brightness, the UST 30-Day Duro lasts a full nine hours. While this may not sound like much compared to its low-setting life, this is one of the best times we've seen put up during our testing.
The Ultimate Survival Technologies 30-Day Duro Glow has one of the longest battery lives that we've seen from a lantern.
Credit: Ross Patton
Ease of Use
This model is fairly easy to use. Press the power button successive times to cycle through each of the light settings. The light cover detaches and attaches easily. However, we found that the battery compartment lid/bottom isn't as simple — it's just tricky to line up the two pieces to screw them together smoothly.
There are no feet at the base. However, between its weight and the gripping rubber base, we felt good about setting it down on relatively flat surfaces and confident that we weren't going to knock it over.
The UST 30-Day Duro stays put, even on loose and soft surfaces.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Features
The UST 30-Day Duro has a bunch of subtle but useful features. This light has four modes; high, medium, low, and SOS strobe. UST claims an IPX4 waterproof rating, and we did submerge it in a river during testing — it came out totally fine.
Its handle also makes it easy to carry around if you need to walk away from your campsite for a while. It glows in the dark — not as well as we would like, but just enough that you can see it a few feet away at night, say, in a tent. If you charge it up next to a very bright light source, it glows in the dark a little bit better. You can also unscrew the dome lid and hang it upside down by its plastic hook to increase the illumination area. The plastic hook is not super sturdy and bends when taking it out of its snapped-closed position. The base is hefty. Because of the grippy rubber material and the lantern's overall weight, it certainly won't slide off of a table or get knocked over easily. However, when you unscrew the bottom to replace the batteries, it is kind of difficult to put it back on.
It's not a UFO, this light has a glow-in-the-dark ring so you can locate it in the dark.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Weight
The UST 30-Day Duro weighs a little under two pounds with three D batteries installed. It measures 7.2" tall and has a diameter of 3.75". It is not nearly as light and compact as any of the Black Diamond models we tested. This light probably isn't going to accompany you in the backcountry, but it is really trying to replace the role of a traditional propane lantern without any of the hassle, mess, or safety concerns.
Should You Buy the UST 30-Day Duro?
The number one reason to purchase the UST 30-Day Duro is for the battery life. The ideal use for this model is to store in a basement or closet for an emergency power outage. While it most certainly meets the requisite brightness and durability for camping, in the day & age of lithium-ion battery-powered USB rechargeable devices, we have a hard time justifying the use of expensive disposable D batteries for a weekend in the mountains.
We easily recommend this model for home use and power outages due to its reliable battery life.
Credit: Valentine Cullen
What Other Lanterns Should You Consider?
Because the UST 30-Day Duro is best for a relatively specific purpose, we have several alternate recommendations in case this is not the the right lantern for you. If you're looking for a lantern to take backpacking, check out the solar and battery-powered BioLite SunLight, or the Primus Micron, which uses the same fuel canisters as backpacking stoves. For a bright, rechargeable, portable lantern that doubles as a power bank for charging USB devices, check out the Black Diamond Apollo.
—
Ben Applebaum-Bauch
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