Walkie Talkie for Outdoor Communication: our recommendations
Walkie-Talkie for Professional Outdoor Communication: Practical Tips
Among the most important outdoor professions for our ecosystem is that of the park ranger, who daily works to protect the flora and wildlife within Italian natural parks.
In particular, the Park Rangers of the Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park perform a crucial daily task: deterring Marsican brown bears.
This technique involves preventing certain bear specimens, known as "confidence," from entering towns, crossing roads, and, in general, interacting with humans. This is because some bears have lost their natural distrust of humans and, no longer considering them a threat, tend to approach them, putting their own safety at risk.
Through the deterrence technique, park rangers trigger an association process in bears between humans and feelings of fear, danger, and distrust, with the aim of making them understand that inhabited areas generate negative situations.
To carry out this challenging yet essential task, park rangers need to work as a team and communicate promptly, but above all, consistently, without risking losing connection.
The ideal solution to optimize communications and make their work more effective and safe is the use of walkie-talkies, which, unlike regular cell phones, offer a range of advantages.
Why Use Walkie-Talkies for Outdoor Communication?
Those who work outdoors, not just park rangers but also environmental guides, refuge managers, forest guards, and hunting surveillance agents, know the importance of communication.
Maintaining contact with colleagues or the operations center is crucial for their safety and to carry out their work more easily and effectively.
Imagine being inside an alpine natural park and needing to communicate an important piece of information about the local wildlife to your colleagues, or even in the case of an emergency, having to sound an alarm at the operations center.
With a cell phone, you have to consider that the network may not always be available, there may be issues with the signal during bad weather, and the recipient of your call must be available and within a signal reception area. Additionally, the battery life of smartphones tends to be increasingly shorter.
None of these issues arise when using a walkie-talkie:
you never encounter signal problems, so both you and the recipient of your communications are always reachable, even in extreme cases;
communication is simple, fast, and immediate, you just need to press a single button;
the battery life of some walkie-talkie models can last up to 40 hours, providing you with significant autonomy;
communication between team members is straightforward; anyone can participate in the conversation;
walkie talkies are resistant to impacts and rain, unlike smartphones, which are not typically built for such durability.
For those who work in outdoor professions, walkie-talkies are essential for performing their jobs to the fullest and ensuring maximum safety for the entire team.
That's why over the years, we have chosen to support and stand alongside the professional activities of the Park Rangers of the Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park in their bear deterrence activities with Midland G13 walkie talkies, as well as the staff of Bioparco Animanatura with the XT70 Pro radios.
Which Walkie-Talkies to Choose for Outdoor Communication?
Now let's move on to another crucial aspect for those engaged in outdoor professions: which radio to choose for communications?
As always, it depends on the intended use, the environment, and the distance involved. For the park rangers of the Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park, we have chosen the Midland G13, which is also perfect for hunting activities due to its reliability, versatility, and long-lasting performance.
It features an aluminum chassis that ensures unparalleled robustness, and it has an IPX4 water resistance rating. The G13 offers 8 new PMR446 channels, ensuring a low level of line congestion. Additionally, channel 8 is dedicated to the use of the Radio Montana Network, guaranteeing maximum safety when in mountainous areas, both in emergencies and for prevention purposes.
The user-friendly keypad consists of only 3 buttons and the great advantage for outdoor communication activities is the battery life, lasting up to 40 hours. The G13 is available in two color variations: black and blaze with vibrant orange tones, contributing to increased visibility for the user.
In addition to the G13, there is the entire Midland XT Pro Line for outdoor communication activities, specifically developed for outdoor safety, featuring:
a wider frequency range;
greater robustness compared to other walkie-talkie models.
We start with the XT70 Pro, the model currently used by Bioparco Animanatura for internal communications. It has a range of 12 km, an IPX4 water resistance rating, adjustable squelch, 9 levels of VOX, and 101 channels.
It features an emergency call function, particularly useful in mountainous areas, a backlit display for easy use in dark or nighttime conditions, and a battery life of 12 hours with fast charging in just 3 hours. Like the G13, this walkie-talkie also has the Radio Montana Network.
The XT70 Pro has won the RedDot Award in the product design category and is available in two versions: black-metallic gray and black-orange.
Other models perfect for outdoor professions are the Midland G10, G11, G15, and G18. They are all two-way radios that allow communication over long distances, with great mechanical resistance and long-lasting battery life - fundamental features for those in outdoor professions.
In particular, the G18 Pro is a virtually indestructible model that has surpassed military reliability standards. It is water and dust resistant with an IP67 certification and can withstand up to 30 minutes in one meter of water. It has the integrated RRM channel function that allows for quick recall to the Radio Montana network channel and has 99 channels.
The G18 Pro is definitely the most complete and advanced model for those working in challenging environments and in need of an indestructible communication tool.
The G15 Pro has very similar features to the G18 Pro in terms of battery life, range, mechanical resistance, and water and dust resistance. It is a walkie-talkie that you can use and abuse; it will never let you down! The G15 Pro has 32 channels and does not have the RRM function.
The G11 Pro is particularly versatile and is recommended for those working in noisy environments, thanks to its audio quality that ensures excellent communications. Its metal chassis makes it a robust model suitable for various situations.
Finally, the G10 Pro is the model suitable for low-complexity environments. It has a linear and compact design that makes it robust, reliable, and easy to use. It falls into the entry-level radio category but is still perfect for work environments that do not require extreme performance.
Choosing the most suitable walkie-talkie model based on your needs is crucial. This will save you time, allow you to work more effectively, and ensure greater personal and team safety!