DON'T BUY A BUNCH OF GEAR... yet.
watch this short video and learn from my mistakes. The GMRS band is easy to use, but radio in general is fraught with challenges that need yo be overcome. those challenges are easily met by "buying a bunch of equipment", but AVOID that by thinking your way through things BEFORE you buy.

my suggestions:
A) get involved with a local HAM CLUB.
Meet these folks. They are your BEST resource (yes, more so than youtube). Friends in the ham club can relay critical information during disasters when your GMRS radio may not have the range it needs. 😬

B) get a HANDHELD RADIO.
Don't expect it to solve your problems in an emergency, but it is an important tool. It can also help you discover what your real radio needs are. If you live at the peak of a hill overlooking civilization below, that little radio may be all you need. But if you want to reach beyond your neighborhood with GMRS then you may need "more power", or a higher gain antenna on a tower... you'll need to overcome what challenges you personally face, which may mean "buying a bunch of gear". See video #2 for a bit more info on that. 🤔

C) Know your RANGE.
GMRS (and UHF in general) works basically on "line of sight". that cheap Midland radio that promises 36mi range in likely tested from one mountain top to another. Curvature of Earth, trees, buildings, hills and valleys ALL play into the actual RANGE of your radio. 🤔

D) GET A BASE STATION (mobile radio).
Essentially, "more power"! Your budget will decide, get as much power as you can. The legal limit for GMRS is 50W.
NOTE the budget needs to include the mobile radio, a power supply for (clean 13.8V 30amp 'lectricity), an antenna, and coax line to feed it. 🧐 you'll get what you pay for.

E) get a HAM LICENSE.
If i can get one so can you! There's a test, but your ham friends (see #1 above) can help with that, plus many apps and tools to learn the info. Getting your "technician" license opens you to the UHF/VHF amateur frequencies, where more solid radio communication is available. "General" is the next step, opening that "around the world" radio experience. 🤠👍
...there's NO TEST REQUIRED for GMRS, just an FCC license.

bonus: F) get a SHORT WAVE RADIO too!

please comment with your questions or ideas. LIKE, SHARE, SUBSCRIBE!