From being able to communicate to units next to each other, to asking for help from units that were able to come to their aid, radio communications made it easy to pass information from person to person and up the chain of command.
The best survival walkie talkie are meant to be discrete, but also have clear reception regardless of terrain. This will allow the two parties to communicate even when your phones have no service.
Today though, the walkie talkie has made it into a lot of our activities. From being able to coordinate the kids while planning something at home, to having one at standby whenever you need to communicate to emergency services, the walkie talkie has become an integral part of everyday life.
Top Two Way Radios For Long Distance in 2021
Product Name | Price | Rating | |
---|---|---|---|
Motorola Talkabout MH230R | $$$ | ||
Motorola T600 Talkabout Radio | $$ | ||
Motorola T200 Talkabout Radio | $$ | ||
Baofend BF-888s | $ | ||
Baofeng BF-888S Plus | $ | ||
Midland LXT500VP3 | $ | ||
Luiton LT-188H 10 | $ | ||
Uniden SX377-2CKHS | $$ |
1. Motorola Talkabout MH230R

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It would be impossible to talk about walkie talkies without at least referring to Motorola. As walkie talkies were still in development, Motorola was one of the companies that spearheaded this development. In fact, the first walkie talkie for long distance used by the US was a Motorola model.
With this model, they put in over 80 years of knowledge and expertise into developing a walkie talkie that covers a range of up to 23 miles over undulating hills. This long range two way radio is a must have for the group outings when you’re sure someone is going to need some help getting back to camp.
The Talkabout radio MH230R has an 8 hour rechargeable battery life and 11 channels with alert functions just incase anything goes wrong.
This model has 121 privacy codes in order to prevent interference throughout 22 channel, for when it really matters most. This two way radio is great for outdoor terrains with clear reception when cellular service is bad.
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2. Motorola T600 Talkabout

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Well, it’s no secret that one way or another, you will have to brave the elements if you’re going to get someone over the radio. In most cases, the radios will not be capable of facing the kind of situations you will be in. Not this one though. This works wonders for long distances no matter the circumstances with its IP67 waterproof feature.
This T600 survival walkie talkie was purposely designed to be both weather and dust-proof should you need to make emergency communications in difficult weather. As well as a built in LED light that comes in handy when you can't see your way back. And while you're facing the elements, it would also be prudent to assume that you also won’t be near a power source to recharge your batteries.
That’s the reason why this two way radio comes with such a great battery life of up to 23 hours and NOAA radio for emergency services. This walkie talkie allow you to stay communicated as well as informed in an emergency.
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3. Motorola T200 Talkabout

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Okay, now this is turning into an ode to Motorola, but it would be difficult to discount just how good they’ve been since they got into the radio business. This third model, which I try and promise will be the last, is just an indication of the expertise they have. It is also showing how they can use that expertise to achieve multiple aims.
With the T200 walkie talkie, reception is clear with a range of up to 20 miles. It is also compatiable with other walkie talkies in it's class. There is a dual power charging option and a easy to read battery meter that alerts when you when it's low.
This survival walkie talkie is great for long distances and is easy to use. However, it's better for camping or hiking trips rather than an emergency situation. It's not weatherproof, which is a huge factor when it comes to durability.
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4. Baofeng BF-888S

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The Baofeng BF-888S walkie talkie has a frequency range of 400-470MHz across 16 channels. This two way radio offer a variety of helpful features such as power-saving mode, advanced charging, scanning, emergency alarm functions, and more to help you out.
Each one of these survival talkie talkies come with an ear piece to keep you hands free, so you can focus on more important things. Baofeng was built with the user in mind, the LED light is clear and bright enough to luminate a small area, enough to see where you are going.
This leaves you with an 8 hour battery life for you to run around and communicate with, allowing you to test this handheld transceiver for yourself.
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5. Baofeng BF-888S Plus

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Well, here comes Baofeng again with an upgrade to the previous model. Whether this is a hit or a miss is highly dependent on how you look at it. Either way, this two way radio will still function as it should, and still give you the high quality of service you demand from it.
This survival walkie talkie is a step-down, design-wise. Whereas the previous model attempted to add some curves and aerodynamics to a slightly chunky device, this model is a return to the brick models that walkie talkies are known for. The only miss for me would be the exclusion of a back-lit screen.
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6. Midland LXT500VP3

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The Midland LXT500VP3 is a two way walkie talkie that has up to a 24 mile range of clear communication in flat areas. It includes 22 family radio service channels along with a channel scanner feature that can check for activity.
There are dual power charging capabilities but don't worry, the best part of this device is the inclusion of a battery saving feature to help you power through long stretches without having to recharge. There is also a neat lock button incase you accidently hit a button you that could mess up the whole walkie talkie.
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7. Luiton LT-188H 10

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The Luiton LT-188VHF survival walkie talkie is perfect for most camping and hiking trips. The 10watt output works better to cover greater distance with clear sound. It also gives average ranges of 10 miles in mixed conditions, with the range up to 20 miles as terrain flattens out.
This walkie talkie includes the standard features such as a flashlight, the all-important battery saving feature and a button lock to prevent but dialing the people on your channel.
It's the two way radio to use for long distances as Luiton is highly reliable and works amazing in terms of clear communication. The batteries can last for days on standby mode, which allows you to stay out in the wilderness without having to worry about recharging.
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8. Uniden SX377-2CKHS

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The Uniden SX377-2CKHS is an absolute beast of survival walkie talkies in terms of features and functions. They have a range of up to 37 miles with 22 channels and a channel scanner. It's quick and easy to charge as it uses a USB, which comes in handy if you carry a portable solar charger.
There is a walkie talkie that was built for those without fear. An amazing feature is that these devices can be submerged in water, and float. It's great for survivalist and preppers that are near large bodies of water.
The exlusive direct call features let you call others in your group, meaning that you can have a private chat with just a change in mode without anyone else listening. These are great features that most survival walkie talkies should have.
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Bottom Line
An outing into the woods doesn’t mean you should go dark on communicating with people, well, unless you want to. This is especially true if you’re in a pack of individually adventurous people who may decide to go out on their own.
Whether they’re in the woods or trying to get across the Catskills, having a long-range radio would go a long way in knowing their status and keeping tabs on them. For this, the Motorola MH230R is best suited. I bet you saw that coming.
In situations where the radio might be the only way to call for help, you’ll want something from a manufacturer with over 80 years of experience. Check it out now for an experience that promises to be painless in your search for the best survival walkie talkie or even a handheld ham radio that can assist with communication.
However, if you are a hardcore survialist and outdoorsmen the Uniden SX377-2CKHS has better range, completely submersible, and private channels for one on one conversations.
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