The backbone of any good team is communication. Exchanging information and updates between your teammates is key to any problem solving scenario. This is truer than ever with hunting, especially when you cannot lean over and speak to them directly.
Being out in the backcountry and getting injured or separated from your hunting buddies is a real danger, especially if you’ve no means to contact them. Or if you spot the buck you’ve been trailing a few hundred yards out and need to advise them, it’s hardly wise to flap your hands around to get their attention.
This is why a dependable set of hunting walkie-talkies is vital for your hunting load-out.
Good hunting walkie-talkies must be rugged and capable of delivering crystal-clear messages in difficult terrain.
Understanding the various specs, radio jargon, and technical language can be tricky, so we’ve made it easy and assembled a list of some of the best hunting radios to assist your market research while you find the right one for you.
We’ll be reviewing the following:
- Best walkie-talkie for hunting: Midland GXT1050VP4 36-Mile 50-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radio
- Best walkie-talkie on a budget: Midland X-TALKER X10 2-Way Radios, 2 pack
- Best walkie-talkie for waterfowl and fishing: Motorola Talkabout T600 H20
- Best two-way radio for mountain hunting: Rocky Talkie
- Best two-way radio with built-in GPS: Garmin Rino 750 GPS
- Best hands-free walkie-talkie for hunting: Backcountry Access BC Link 2.0 Group Communication System
What Kind of Walkie Talkie Do You Need?
One of the trickiest parts of walkie-talkie jargon to wrap your head around is all the different radio signals you will see as you do your market research.
You thought all walkie-talkies work on the same radio signal? Since when was life that easy? Different radio waves are designed for different scenarios, so let’s take a quick look at the different frequencies walkie-talkies use and their different purposes.
Family radio service (FRS)
The FRS is designed for general usage and is what most walkie-talkies use. As the name suggests, it’s more designed for families to maintain comms and works most effectively over a short range but can reach over 30 miles with no obstacles and a clear line of sight. FRS radios are limited to a 2-watt power supply.
General mobile radio service (GMRS)
Stepping up into more professional arenas, GMRS channels require a license due to their more powerful output. Luckily for us, the Federal Communications Commission cut the license cost by a generous 50% in 2022, meaning a year’s license will only set you back $35. This license holds people accountable, preventing them from interfering with emergency or military service works.
GMRS channels offer little extra range, but their 5-50W power output will maintain a more robust signal up to 5 miles.
Very high frequency (VHF)
While not ideal for mountains or areas with large obstacles, VHF radios are great for open spaces with little obstructions and can carry signals up to 100 miles.
VHF is likely the most common signal people will operate on, so interference is to be expected, but it shouldn’t affect your hunt negatively. Due to their high power, VHF two-way radios require an FCC license.
Ultra-high frequency (UHF)
UHF radios are similar to VHF, but they carry much better through foliage and obstacles, making them a popular choice among backcountry hunters.
Their waves won’t travel as far as VHF, but they’re more dependable if you’re expecting obstacles, though the higher output means they’ll eat up battery life quicker than VHF. As UHF is used less frequently than VHF, interference will be less of an issue.
Best Walkie-Talkie for Hunting – Midland GXT1050VP4 36-Mile 50-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radio
What I love about this radio
If you’ve yet to notice, you will see a few Midland radios on our list today. For what it’s worth, we think they’ve got the basics of the hunting walkie-talkie market sewn up, and the GXT1050VP4 is a clear statement.
This long-range walkie-talkie offers both FRS and GMRS channels with outstanding audio quality, making picking up whispers simple when you’re up to 4 miles away. The mossy oak covering, combined with silent operation and five animal noise alerts, make them perfect for adding to your hunting gear.
Specs
- Range: 36 miles
- Weight: 4.6oz
- Privacy codes: 142
- Earpiece included: Yes
- Frequencies: FRS/GMRS
Pros
Purpose-built for the hunter who needs multiple extra features, these walkie-talkies offer an impressive range with hands-free functionality combined with access to NOAA weather channels and a rugged design at a very affordable price.
Cons
Though it’s just a small hoop to jump through, this GMRS radio requires an FCC license for authorized use.
Full review
Outdoorsmen have been selecting Midland radios as their go-to walkie-talkie for hunting for a long time, and the GX1050P4V is no stranger to top ten lists.
These rugged walkie-talkies operate up to 36 miles with no physical barriers, which of course, is much further than you’re likely to get from your buddy, and chances are the signal will peter out long before the maximum distance is reached. They keep crystal clear reception up until about 10 miles, which is plenty when you’re on a hunt or in the case of an emergency.
It’s stacked with many features, making it a fantastic multi-tool on the trail that won’t break the bank.
Built-in NOAA weather alerts mean this radio locks on to local weather alerts to keep you abreast of any inclement weather systems headed your way. The earpiece combined with the belt clip allows for hands-free operation, and silent mode ensures you can keep a low profile when needed. The LED-backlit screen allows for easy functionality in darkness.
The mossy oak break-up casing is weatherproof, so not intended for submersion in water, but it makes them a reliable tool in poor weather.
Best Walkie-Talkie on a Budget: Midland X-TALKER X10 2-Way Radios, 2 pack
What I love about this radio
We’ve kept the Midland radios to a bare minimum on this list, but we had to mention the X-Talker when it comes to low-budget two-way radios for hunting. With this radio, you’ll save a few bucks on the price point and get essentially the same radio as the GX1050P4V minus a few features.
Specs
- Range: 35 miles
- Weight: 3.9oz
- Privacy codes: 121
- Earpiece included: No
- Frequencies: FRS/GMRS
Pros
This tiny radio will fit neatly into any pocket and includes both NOAA weather alerts with good reception up to 3 miles and dependable battery life at a highly competitive $29.99.
Cons
The X10 can struggle to deliver crisp reception once you’re more than 3 miles from a paired radio.
Full Review
If budget is an important factor, then you really can’t go wrong with the X10, which offers functionality that goes above and beyond its meager price point.
Midland cut various design corners on this budget radio, such as removing twist knobs to save fabric. Using buttons instead of knobs makes for a smaller, sleeker design, but adjusting the settings with buttons does include a bit of a learning curve, especially if you have gloves on.
The size of this radio is a real bonus, and you won’t even notice it strapped to your belt or bag straps on hunting trips. Its reception can flag somewhere between 2-3 miles, most radios rarely get anywhere near their promised range, but 2 miles is more than ample if you plan on staying near your hunting party.
Including 38 privacy codes to blot out unwanted chatter is an excellent feature for this price range, as are the NOAA weather channels. It’s also decent of Midland to design such a robust, rugged radio at such an affordable price. The X10 is waterproof and made of durable plastic that won’t break easily, and it’s great to have a budget option that hasn’t been designed to force you into buying another set 6 months down the line.
Best walkie-talkie for waterfowl and fishing: Motorola Talkabout T600 H20
What I love about this radio
This waterproof radio is ideal for those seeking adventure in more aquatic climes. It floats upright if dropped in water and maintains excellent reception across wide spaces, making it perfect for open-water use.
Specs
- Range: 38 miles
- Weight: 8.4oz
- Privacy codes: 38
- Earpiece included: No
- Frequencies: FRS/GMR
Pros
The T600 will float upright on water and will still function after being submerged 1 meter underwater for an hour; a clear demonstration that it’s a no-brainer choice if you’re going to be near or on the water during your trip.
Cons
The extra material to waterproof this radio has an upshot. At 8.4 oz, the T600 is nearly twice the weight of the GXT1050VP4, making it the heaviest long-range radio on our list.
Full review
The primary selling point of the T600 is its water resistance which goes above and beyond what’s required. It’s designed to be waterproof up to 1 meter but also floats in water, doubly proofing it against water damage.
That extra proofing also makes this a sturdy walkie-talkie in the face of damage on dry land, making it a contender for the overall most durable walkie-talkie on our list.
It has an alert feature in the form of a high-intensity LED flashlight which shines in either white or red light, which illuminates automatically if dropped in water, so it’s easy to locate if it ends up in a river. A whistle built into the included backpack clip is also a neat feature, but you’ll need to remove it from the walkie-talkie to use it.
The battery life isn’t top of the range, and the included rechargeable batteries allow only eleven hours of use, though this is still plenty for a full day. According to Motorola, you’ll need spare AA batteries for extended trips, which will roughly double the battery life.
A major stumbling block might be the $130 price tag, which is a hearty $40 more than the GX1050VP4 and four times the cost of the X10. That said, the materials taken to make a piece of kit that offers this level of resilience and functionality in water are to be expected from a specialized walkie-talkie.
Best Walkie-Talkie for Mountain Hunting: Rocky Talkie
What I love about this radio
A high-end licence-free radio that functions up to 25 miles with three days of battery life? What’s not to love?
Specs
- Range: 25 miles
- Weight: 4.8oz
- Privacy codes: 121
- Earpiece included: No
- Frequencies: FRS
Pros
The Rocky Talkie’s powerful lithium-ion battery offers excellent battery life, lasting up to 3 days and suffers no adverse effects from cold weather, even up to -20 degrees.
Cons
The Rocky Talkie is above average at $110 per radio, but this is the only negative for this reliable walkie-talkie.
Full Review
Carving out a space in a walkie-talkie market so heavily controlled by Motorola and Midland is no mean feat, but Rocky Talkie achieves it comfortably.
The Rocky Talkie has been designed to provide crystal-clear communication for climbers. While many radios struggle with rocky terrain, the Rocky Talkie has been tested to provide coverage up to 25 miles. However, 1-5 miles is more realistic and representative of a hunting trip.
That the Rocky Talkie can achieve reception over competitive distances while only operating on license-free FRS frequencies is a real boon. The lower wattage combined with the powerful batteries is why this radio features such fantastic battery life that competitors can’t contend with.
The restriction to FRS also makes this two-way radio straightforward and ready to use when you take them out of the box with zero fuss. The five buttons are easy to understand and add to the overall simplicity of this device, making it ideal for use as a two-way radio for the whole family and not just hunting trips.
Rocky Talkies are the best walkie-talkies for hunting on rocky terrain, though two radios will set you back a handsome $220, which is sure to give even the most relaxed spender pause for thought.
Best Walkie-Talkie for Hunting with Built-in GPS: Garmin Rino 750 GPS
What I love about this radio
The Garmin Rino allows you to hunt without fear of getting lost or waylaid with dual GPS and GLONASS coverage for outstanding precision positioning.
Specs
- Range: 8 miles
- Weight: 12.3oz
- Privacy codes: None
- Earpiece included: No
- Frequencies: UHF/GMRS
Pros
Dependable long-range walkie-talkies with GPS functionality are a godsend. If you’re in the market for a GPS device, the Rino is the perfect way to kill two birds with one stone.
Cons
The downside of getting both bits of kit in one is the hefty $499 price tag. This is obviously a highly specialized two-way radio, and the inclusion of high-end satellite positioning tech will naturally incur higher costs.
Full review
If you’re the sort of hunter who needs a walkie-talkie that provides all the cutting-edge bells and whistles, the Rino is an obvious choice.
Let’s be straight; this isn’t a walkie-talkie with a GPS function or vice versa: it’s been designed to provide the entire suite of both tools in one chunky 12oz package.
The GPS includes a ‘Where to” function so you can plot a route if you’ve got a chosen destination, and though the Rino comes equipped with Worldwide Basemap, which doesn’t provide massive detail, you can add extra maps onto its 1.7 gig memory with a mini SD card.
Using GPS and the Russian equivalent, GLONASS, guarantees fantastic accuracy when you’re trying to orient yourself.
The manufacturer states these walkie-talkies have a 14-hour battery life, but GPS sucks battery power with a vengeance, so that lifespan while using the satellite positioning is likely to be much less. That said, 14 hours is good for battery life for a standard two-way radio.
It’s worth talking about the hefty price tag, which you can expect to pay for two different bits of kit meshed into one. If you don’t need a GPS, you can find a top-quality radio for way below the asking price anywhere else on this list. However, if you want a GPS, it might make sense to spend a little extra to take advantage of the Rino’s double-horned problem-solving approach.
Best hands-free walkie-talkie for hunting: Backcountry Access BC Link 2.0 Group Communication System
What I love about this radio
It’s here for its built-in microphone that makes communication simple without having to remove your walkie-talkie from your pocket or shoulder strap, but in honesty, the Backcountry Access is a fantastic all-rounder that combines easy operation with great range and stern resilience to the elements.
- Range: 40 miles
- Weight: 11oz
- Privacy codes: 121
- Earpiece included: Yes
- Frequencies: FRS
Pros
These walkie-talkies pack a bunch of functionality into a system that’s intuitive and easy to wrap your head around, making communication easy and effective.
Cons
At 11oz, these walkie-talkies are far from dinky.
Full review
The chunky weight proportions of this reliable walkie-talkie shouldn’t present any issues as operating them without retrieving them from your bag or shoulder patch is easy to work. Their weight isn’t reflected by their size, making them easy to stow.
They’re rugged and resilient; the solid plastic casing and rubber buttons protect from dust build-up and “strong jets of water”.
While other radios include an earpiece simply because the competition does, the BAC BC Link 2.0 is a fully-fledged two-device system. The earpiece/microphone firmly holds your bag strap, which makes talking easier and makes it so simple you may find you and your buddies chatting more than ever.
Learning the button pathways for the more advanced functions accessed via the main radio component is easy to pick up after studying the manual. The BC Link has privacy channels built into its six default channels to minimize any interference if you’re in busier areas.
The battery life of this walkie-talkie is reported to be around 80 hours, which is a good thing as the battery pack is built into the body, so you won’t be able to charge a spare while you’re downrange. It should suit trips of up to a few days, but you may encounter difficulties if you’re gone for an extended period.
At $189.95, this is the third most expensive radio on our list; the Bac BC Link, however, makes a fantastic walkie-talkie for hunting and has a lifespan that will last for years over many hunts, whatever the weather.
Considerations When Buying a Walkie Talkie
You may know what you’re looking for and what might make good walkie-talkies, but if you’re new to this piece of kit, it’s easy for you to neglect specific essential attributes.
We all like to hunt differently and will select our kit accordingly, so let’s look at the factors that you should consider when you’re looking at walkie-talkies.
Range
If you haven’t noticed already, all radio manufacturers are guilty of promising outlandish maximum range specs that are totally outwith their abilities in the field.
The average length of most competitive walkie-talkies varies between 1-5 miles. To get a good idea of the actual range of a walkie-talkie, always look to user reviews that will offer a much more realistic representation of their abilities.
Battery life
Arguably, the most crucial factor for a good walkie-talkie is battery power, and it’s not like fancy GPS systems, or up-to-the-minute weather alerts will do you any favors if your battery is dead.
Reception
When you’re in a situation where action needs to be taken quickly, the last thing you want is to repeat your previous message three times and miss your moment. All the two-way radios on our list offer excellent audio quality.
Durability/Water resistance
Preparing for unpredictable situations is vital when preparing to go into the backcountry. You want to avoid being caught out by a flimsy radio that crumbles at the first sign of physical stress or getting wet. Any walkie-talkies worth their salt will always front load their description with how tough they are; be wary of products that need to be using their resilience as a selling point.
Extra features
Every radio on our list offers extra features to create a more well-rounded package that will make hunting easy. Any good walkie-talkie should include a weather alert feature, while plenty includes extras like a flashlight or animal sounds.
Cost
All walkie-talkies offer the same basic functions, but different specs and features result in a great deal of variation in cost. This means it’s tough to get priced out of this market, and easy to find a good walkie-talkie to suit your budget.
How I Chose the Best Walkie Talkie for Hunting
Truth be told, you can’t go wrong with any of the walkie-talkies on our list, which all offer all you could want in a two-way radio system. We settled on the Midway GXT1050VP4 as the best walkie-talkie for hunting as it nails range, reception, and ruggedness, providing a lightweight, small radio with top-tier functionality at a very reasonable price.
FAQ
Can I use a walkie-talkie in the mountains?
Regardless of their specs, all walkie-talkies will suffer if used in mountainous terrain. The environment will reduce the maximum landscape, so ensure you don’t get too far from your companion or that your walkie-talkie has a built-in alarm if necessary.
Can I use walkie-talkies in the woods?
Trees and foliage, especially if more dense, can create an obstacle for radio signals. Make sure to test the effectiveness of your radios in forested environments before separating from your companion.
Do I need a walkie-talkie for hunting?
If you’re hunting alone, taking a walkie-talkie along for the ride is a touch redundant. Many of us like to hunt in pairs, which doubles our chances of success by allowing each team member to be on top of different roles.
Cell phones aren’t suited to backcountry terrain with poor signals. Radio coverage from specialist walkie-talkies is much more reliable and is a great safety net in case you or your buddy finds themselves in danger.
Final Thoughts
Walkie-talkies make hunting easier in every aspect, linking you and your companion into one dependable unit that can think and react twice as quickly.
Staying safe in the hills and backcountry trails is essential. Having the ability to maintain comms with your hunting buddies dramatically reduces your chances of becoming endangered.
Always be mindful of the real-world range of radio, ensure that you select one that allows for stealthy, simple operation, and remember to charge your batteries!
