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I've said it before, I'll say it again. If you want to have your own repeater channel, don't bother trying to petition the FCC to change GMRS rules - just go set yourself up with a Private Carrier FB6 on a properly coordinated UHF business channel. You won't need to convince anyone of your need, you just pay your money & go. You can do Analog, DMR, NXDN, Encryption - whatever. Create your own special 10 codes, use speech inversion, whatever floats your boat. You can even crank out more than 50 watts on your repeater (although there are actual ERP limits to deal with).)

I have spent decades in the mountains and I have seen 'almost' every type of communications methods fail. The only thing I have seen work 100% of the time (less equipment failure) is HF radio. Sat phones are by far the easiest to use and the second most successful to use. However, in order to work, the devices need to have clear view of a satellite phone network. Being deep in a valley or in heavy tree coverage, the phone wont work. Also, Sat phone uses a frequency that is very easily negatively impacted by solar/space weather. It actually happens fairly frequently. I mention these items because, while they are easy and very dependable, there is high cost to purchase and use and some risk of failure. InReach and other services like it are more affordable SatComms solutions, but have the same technology restrictions as Sat phones. UHF and VHF radio's are RF line of sight... period. If you have heavily wooded areas, are in a low area block by a hills or mountains... even a lot of buildings. Range is massively restricted. Circling back to HF radio... again, it never fails. While space weather impacts performance, all it really impacts is what frequency you use during particular times of the day. HF doesn't care about trees, rain, or anything physically in the way, and it's not a line of sight service. Due to not being line of sight, and the way HF radio propagation works, you can talk to people anywhere on the planet (if you follow the rules) with just a couple of watts. So, as someone whom has spent time in the woods and truly understands the points about weight restrictions (since you carry food, water, clothing, first-aid, bedding/shelter) the last thing I would want to do is add a bunch more weight. And lets be honest, even the smallest of HF radio setups will add 5 or 6 lbs, its hard to tell you what to do when I have no idea what your wife is capable of carrying. BUT... if it were me, I would carry a Sat phone or InReach and a portable 5w HF radio that covers 80m/40m/20m/ (and built in tuner), a random length wire antenna to support those bands and a roll-up solar panel charging system to charge the batteries on the phone/InReach and radio. I personally can't justify Sat phone pricing, so I would use the InReach (for zero 'in the field' setup and instant use) and something like a Radioddity Xiegu x6100 or an iCom IC-705 in cases where the InReach doesn't work. The IC-705 is way more capable and has coverage from all of HF, as well as 6m and 2m VHF and 70cm UHF. But, the x6100 is only $600 compared to the IC-705 at $1,400.

Cuz if I hear him needing tacos I may realize that I need tacos too, and that may drive down taco availability at a specific locality. And let's not go into what may happen if everybody will suddenly learn that he's got tacos, while taco supply is low.

Actually, the government will always get YOUR moolah! ?

Dangit. There's always a catch.The government will always get their moolah.

I say this over and over. At least once a year folks decide we need to change GMRS to suite their needs and who cares what others do. I have been in GMRS since we rented a repeater PL. Alot has changed but in the end not much really did. analog and simple has been the game. If you want DMR or other stuff go to ham or business.

I wouldn’t venture into the backcountry without a device like a Spot locator or Sat phone.

Maybe not, but they can use a telephone.?

Welcome! Two way radio is line of sight mostly. So if she is hiking in the mountains, line of sight will be very spotty at best. Where will you be? As WRUU653 suggests satellite phones/devices may be your best option.

It's less syllables to just say I have tacos or I need tacos though... and why would you risk such an important thing being misunderstood??

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Silly question maybe but do you have your GMRS license? If so try Rich again https://mygmrs.com/contact

Telemarketer?

The third Garmin I listed is a GMRS radio as well as having satellite capabilities. As @WRWE456 mentioned GMRS is line of sight. One thing to consider is battery life and charging capabilities on the trail while keeping weight down. The Garmin in reach 2 will give you good battery life and satellite texting and that emergency button and it’s small. Do some research and figure out what is most important for your wife’s needs. Having your outside support will be a great help for her.

I would take a look at some of the Garmin products for such a trip. https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/765374 https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/890109 https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/533999

The radios for the most part I have are considered "mid-tier" models. I have a few high end radios like the TH-D74A https://www.kenwood.com/usa/com/support/pdf/TH-D74A.pdf and the D578UVII Plus, https://powerwerx.com/anytone-atd578uviiiplus-dmr-tri-band-mobile-radio-bluetooth I have some low end ones too. For example I have a couple of the NX-1300DUK5's. These radios are great and included front panel programming at no additional cost. https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/290-nx-1300duk5/?context=new The current high end Kenwood HT's are the NX-5000 series. Once you add in all the optional licenses for the good feature set you're likely looking at $2000 plus for an HT. Just to add the P25 option is around $500. The NXDN and DMR are far cheaper at $40 to $50 each. You want the trunking feature for each more money. Want encryption more money etc. Then the cost for the license key to enable the programming software for the radios is about $150 each. I'm not going to that extreme. https://www.hickeycomms.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/NX5000_portable_EU_02-1016-LR.pdf

Thanks for the reply. I look forward to chatting with you.

I cant find the answer to this myself so I yield to those that know more than I do: Does creating a new FRN and applying for an additional GMRS license violate any rules? For example, if i lost my FRN/callsign, or if i just dont like the way my callsign sounds and want a new one, would paying for a new license break any rules? And if so, please point to that rule (please, no guesses). I know that per https://www.fcc.gov/new-users-guide-getting-started-universal-licensing-system-uls multiple FRNs are permitted, but I cant find anything about multiple licenses.