ust
UST is a US-based outdoor recreation brand and subsidiary of American Outdoor Brands (AOB) that sells tents, sleeping bags, air mats, lighting, fire-starting tools, and sustainable bamboo camp kitchen gear directly to outdoor enthusiasts through its own e-commerce store and dealer and affiliate channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1936
- HeadquartersColumbia Falls, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What ust does
UST is a US-based outdoor recreation brand that designs, markets, and sells camping and outdoor equipment directly to consumers. The company operates as a subsidiary of American Outdoor Brands (AOB) and reaches customers primarily through its DTC e-commerce storefront at ustgear.com, supplemented by an AvantLink-managed affiliate program, a dealer network, and an ExpertVoice channel targeting industry professionals. Its product portfolio spans tents (House Party family-camping and Highlander backpacking lines), sleep systems (Monarch sleeping bags with an adjustable detachable wing system and Fillmatic self-inflating air mats with r-value 6 insulation and clip-together expansion), lighting (60-Day DURO LED lanterns with extended runtime), fire-starting tools (TekFire USB-rechargeable fuel-free lighter), and a sustainable bamboo camp kitchen line. Pricing is unit-based, ranging from under $10 for accessories to nearly $300 for larger tents, with free shipping over $50 and a $5 first-order email-capture incentive. Revenue is generated through one-time product purchases at the consumer level plus affiliate referral commissions, with no subscription or recurring revenue model disclosed. The customer base is fragmented across recreational outdoor enthusiasts (camping, backpacking, kayaking, biking, van life) and a secondary survival/emergency preparedness segment.
ust firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ust
- Legal name
- UST
- Website
- https://ustgear.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1936
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- UST is a US-based outdoor recreation brand and subsidiary of American Outdoor Brands (AOB) that sells tents, sleeping bags, air mats, lighting, fire-starting tools, and sustainable bamboo camp kitchen gear directly to outdoor enthusiasts through its own e-commerce store and dealer and affiliate channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ust industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Outdoor Camping Gear & Equipment
- NAICS
- Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)
- SIC
- Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Camping, Hiking & Backpacking Gear Retail (CRAMAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Tents, Shelters & Sleep Systems Retail (CRAMAMAH), Navigation, Lighting & Outdoor Electronics Retail (CRAMAMAF), Outdoor Navigation, Safety & Survival Gear Retail (CRAMAAAE)
Keywords
Where ust is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbia Falls
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ust business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel
Revenue model
- Direct Product Sales: UST generates revenue through direct-to-consumer sales of camping gear and outdoor equipment via their e-commerce website. Products are sold as one-time purchases across categories including camp gear, fire tools, lighting, and survival equipment. Pricing ranges from under $10 for accessories to nearly $300 for larger items like tents.
- Affiliate Program: Commission-based revenue sharing with affiliate partners who promote UST products through the AvantLink platform. Affiliates earn commissions on referred sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Entry-level accessories and small items priced $10-$30 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mid-range camping gear priced $30-$50 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium gear and major equipment priced $50-$100 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Major equipment and premium products priced $100+ |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
ust product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UST designs and sells outdoor recreation and camping gear including tents, sleeping systems (sleeping bags and self-inflating air mats), camp kitchen accessories, fire-starting tools, lighting products, and survival equipment. The company markets its products through direct-to-consumer e-commerce at ustgear.com, supplemented by affiliate and dealer channels, targeted at camping, backpacking, hiking, and outdoor enthusiasts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Bamboo Line: Sustainable bamboo camp kitchen accessories including cups, cutting boards, food containers, and utensil sets
- fillmatic
- Monarch
- House Party
- Highlander
- Swerve
- Capen
- TekFire
- 60-Day DURO
- The Shakedown
Products and services
- Fillmatic Self-Inflating Air Mat Self-inflating air mat with a unique 2-way flip valve for easy inflation and deflation, featuring ultra comfort foam core with horizontal baffles, R-value 6 cold weather insulation, and ability to clip mats together for expanded sleeping space. Designed for campers and backpackers seeking high-insulation sleeping pads.
- Monarch Sleeping Bag Sleeping bag with proprietary detachable and foldable Monarch Wing System allowing temperature adjustment from 17°F to 37°F. Wings fold forward for warmth, fold back or detach for ventilation, and each wing stuffs into itself to form a camp pillow. Designed for backpackers and campers needing variable temperature comfort.
- Highlander 2-Person Backpacking Tent Lightweight 2-person backpacking tent with minimum trail weight of 3 lb 4 oz. Designed for backpackers and backcountry adventurers needing portable shelter.
- House Party Tent Series (4-person and 6-person) Family/camping tent series featuring single-wall construction for simple, quick setup with color-coded poles and sleeves, and expandable interior space design. Available in 4-person ($239.99) and 6-person ($299.99) capacities. Targets car campers and family camping use.
- TekFire LED Fuel-Free Lighter Windproof, flameless electronic lighter that requires no butane fuel or altitude adjustments. Powered by USB-rechargeable lithium-ion battery with integrated LED light, and includes ParaTinder wrist lanyard with paracord. Designed for outdoor enthusiasts and emergency preparedness users needing reliable fire-starting.
- 60-Day DURO LED Lantern LED lantern with extended battery life of 60 days continuous runtime on Low setting. Priced at $101.99. Designed for campers, emergency preparedness, and outdoor enthusiasts needing long-lasting camp lighting.
- UST Bamboo Camp Kitchen Line Camp kitchen accessories made from 100% sustainable bamboo including food containers, cutting boards, cups, and utensil sets. Eco-friendly alternative to single-use plastic for outdoor cooking and dining.
- Camp Blankets (Capen) Camp blankets with cape functionality, available in 1-person ($76.99) and 2-person ($109.99) sizes. Designed for camping and outdoor lounging with wearable design.
- Swerve Hip Pack Hip pack/fanny pack with modular wear options for outdoor activities. Designed for carrying essentials during hiking, biking, and other outdoor recreation.
Quantifiable outcome
- 60-day continuous runtime on Low setting for the 60-Day DURO LED Lantern
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ust
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ust technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
ust partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Call2Recycle (The Battery Network)minorUST has partnered with Call2Recycle to allow customers to safely and responsibly recycle batteries used in their products. The partnership enables drop-off at designated recycling centers to reduce hazardous waste in landfills and protect the environment. This partnership covers both UST lighting products and the TekFire LED Fuel-Free Lighter.
- AvantLinkcoreUST operates its affiliate marketing program through the AvantLink platform. The program invites affiliates to join and share UST's commitment to outdoor products, with affiliates earning commissions on sales they refer to the UST e-commerce store.
- ExpertVoiceminorUST partners with ExpertVoice, a platform that connects military, law enforcement, and outdoor professionals with brands offering professional-grade equipment. This partnership targets industry professionals as a distinct customer segment.
- AOB (American Outdoor Brands)coreUST is a subsidiary of AOB (American Outdoor Brands), operating as a camping gear brand under the larger outdoor products parent company. UST's website footer displays the AOB logo and copyright, indicating this parent-subsidiary relationship.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
ust competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Therm-a-Rest: Market leader in self-inflating and inflatable sleeping mats, including NeoAir and ProLite lines. UST's Fillmatic product competes directly on R-value specifications and self-inflation technology within the same premium outdoor segment.
- Big Agnes: Premium tent and sleep system manufacturer with overlapping flagship tent (House Party vs. Copper Spur) and sleeping bag/mat (Monarch vs. Down For Down) product lines. Directly comparable in target customer (outdoor enthusiasts), price range, and DTC-plus-dealer GTM motion.
- Nemo Equipment: Premium outdoor gear brand focused on innovative tents, sleeping pads, and sleeping bags with proprietary technologies. UST's Fillmatic and Monarch lines directly mirror Nemo's product positioning in the premium sleep-system segment.
- Sea to Summit: Premium outdoor gear brand with strong sleep system (sleeping bags, pads), camp kitchen, and accessories lines. Comparable price points, target customers, and DTC-plus-retail distribution model to UST.
- Black Diamond Equipment: Outdoor gear brand covering headlamps, lanterns, trekking poles, and shelter systems. Overlaps with UST's lighting (DURO, headlamps), tools (compasses, shovels), and camp (tents) categories for outdoor enthusiast customers.
- MSR (Mountain Safety Research): Premium outdoor brand specializing in tents, sleeping pads, stoves, water filtration, and lighting — categories that overlap materially with UST's fire, lighting, camp, and tools lines. Both target backcountry enthusiasts with technically engineered products.
- Klymit: Sleeping pad specialist with proprietary body-mapping and insulated air chamber technologies. Directly comparable to UST's Fillmatic self-inflating mat line in the sleep-system category, both targeting backpackers and campers.
Broad incumbents
- REI Co-op: America's largest outdoor co-op retailer selling its own house-brand gear alongside third-party brands including tents, sleeping bags, lighting, and accessories. REI's private-label products overlap directly with UST's catalog in camping and outdoor categories.
- YETI: Premium outdoor lifestyle brand with growing presence across coolers, drinkware, bags, and outdoor accessories. Comparable in DTC-plus-dealer distribution model and premium positioning, though YETI has substantially larger scale and brand equity.
- Coleman: The dominant mass-market camping gear brand in the US, offering tents, sleeping bags, lighting, stoves, and coolers across all price tiers. UST competes directly in overlapping categories but operates at a smaller scale and more premium positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ust social profiles
Digital presenceust financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ust leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
ust funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ust M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ust
What does ust do?
UST designs and sells outdoor recreation and camping gear including tents, sleeping systems (sleeping bags and self-inflating air mats), camp kitchen accessories, fire-starting tools, lighting products, and survival equipment. The company markets its products through direct-to-consumer e-commerce at ustgear.com, supplemented by affiliate and dealer channels, targeted at camping, backpacking, hiking, and outdoor enthusiasts.
Is ust a public or private company?
ust is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was ust founded?
ust was founded in 1936. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ust based?
ust is headquartered in Columbia Falls, United States, in the North America region.
How does ust make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Direct Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are affiliate Program.
Who are ust's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Therm-a-Rest, Big Agnes, Nemo Equipment, Sea to Summit, Black Diamond Equipment, MSR (Mountain Safety Research) and Klymit. Broad incumbents are REI Co-op, YETI and Coleman.
Does ust have an API?
No public API is recorded for ust.
What industry is ust in?
ust's product category is Outdoor Camping Gear & Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMAMAA, Camping, Hiking & Backpacking Gear Retail, with a secondary code of CRAMAMAH, Tents, Shelters & Sleep Systems Retail. Its NAICS code is 45911 and its SIC code is 3949.