Walkie Talkies are A Fun “Toy” That Just Might Save You and Your Family from Danger

Our family is outside a lot, as you have probably figured out by now. We hike all year round, we get out in our kayaks and canoes many times during the summer, we camp when we can, and we generally spend as much time outdoors as possible, oppressive heat and scores of mosquitoes sometimes rendering that impossible.

When we are out on any sort of longer trek or any time we’re out on the water, we always bring a set of walkie talkies with us. Why? Primarily for fun, to be honest. It’s fun to push a button and radio out from one canoe to the other: “Hey, did you guys see that fish jump?” or “We’ve got ducklings swimming off to the right!”

Fun also explains why the walkie talkies are frequently in use during indoor games of hide and seek or used as an intercom when a serious fort has been constructed in the basement. Frankly, we have never once needed our walkie talkies for anything but fun or for added convenience.

But those aren’t the reasons we always make sure to keep our walkie talkies charged and set to the same channel. We do that because in the event of an emergency, with the power out and cell service down, we know we will still always have a way to communicate, and to do that even over quite a bit of distance.

Our Midland X-Talker walkie talkies have an impressive 28-mile range in most conditions, and can even communicate with one another across a dozen or so miles in a crowded city. They have 22 different channels, so even if the one we usually use to communicate were busy, there are plenty of frequencies to hop to in order to find a clearer channel. And they can automatically tune to an official NOAA weather channel that can keep you apprised of conditions even if you are without cellular service or access to the web.

In a real emergency, meaning a situation in which the family not only needs to stay in touch but needs help, we also know we can scan the many channels the Midland X-Talkers offer and request assistance, which brings peace of mind. For the fun alone and the convenience when we’re split up on the water, during long hikes, or around the campground, a set of $65 walkie talkies is worth it. For the safety, that price is a steal.