If anyone is testing radios and such, please be certain to include a report on battery usage and reliability. This is as important as anything else. I purchased some TriSquare eXRS radios a few years ago and have thoroughly tested them, but I found that the batteries supplied with them totally suck. I had to use high end rechargeable batteries instead, (a nice feature with them is the ability to use standard batteries and rechargeable batteries instead of the battery pack). This change makes them "good", but like BTPost mentioned before, a better option would be the iDen phones.
@BTPost and I had great results with the i355 Motorolas when he passed by my plant. iDen/ISm Secure Comms.... UpDate... User Manuals - i355 Motorola (2.26 MB) These are cell phones that can be used in two-way mode without a cell plan. Very handy.
Momma and I will be making another October Road Trip this year... Seattle will be our destination this year, so be thinking about where we can eat, when we pass by again...
You might want to look at these. give it a good read. An Interesting, SECURE, Comm's Device, for your CN-AoO | Survival Monkey Forums