WRPY363

I also use MURS a lot in the woods, excellent range.

We hear the same thing on the roads.. A lot of nothing and people that dont respond (probably using privacy codes)..
When offroading, the official GMRS channel is 16.. This a scientific fact because is "offroading" = "4 X 4" and 4 x 4 = 16 .. so this is the scientific answer to the question - it is explained in more detail in this video made by some Youtube clown:
 

It appears that the new $35 fee for GMRS licenses will take effect on April 19th 2021.
 
Great news! for those up for renewal and those on the fence.
 
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/03/19/2021-03042/schedule-of-application-fees-of-the-commissions-rules
 Jack

I received my UV-9G over the weekend, and excitedly broke it out and put it together. Well, right off the bat, I notice something wrong. The antenna did not sit "true". It was slightly canted. I couldn't say for certain if it was fully seated. I checked my local NOAA, and it would not receive, even with squelch turned off.
I did some image research, and I'm fairly certain that the antenna was not what it was supposed to come with. It had a different base, and well as a thin orange ring around it near the base. I didn't see a single instance of that.
So, do I look at ordering another one, or look foe something else? Now, I did just today get a Radioddity GM-30. The original idea was that I'd have the more rugged radio, and my wife the less often used radio. I liked the idea of the UV-9G, but certainly not my first experience with it.
Since I'm new to all of this, I am wanting to keep the price low. Thanks.

One minor addition: while the uv5r (and other radios in the same form factor don't natively support USB charging, the high capacity (3800mAh) batteries do have a barrel plug, and BTech sells a USB charging pigtail that can charge the battery via that plug. https://baofengtech.com/product/bt-1013/

The UV-5R fits the bill, except it's not type certified for GMRS or FRS use, and it doesn't offer USB charging. There is another model that is type accepted, and that's the UV-5G/UV-5X GMRS radio. It looks nearly identical and has the same form factor. As you might have already figured, there are two different names for this model: UV-5G and UV-5X GMRS. Unfortunately, there is also another model called UV-5X that is not a GMRS radio, and it has a different form factor. If you stick to the GMRS model that looks like a UV-5R, you'd be fine.
Anyway, these radios cost about $60/pair, and offer the low cost and small form factor desired by the OP. They do require charging cradles, but once charged, they last quite a long time on the included battery. There are also spare battery options available, including high capacity batteries for even longer run time. In addition, there are multiple antenna options available should you decide to upgrade, but beware that these radios require an SMA male antenna as opposed to the UV-5R's SMA female antenna. These radios also offer the option of Chirp programmability in case that's needed or desired.
The Tidradio TD-H5 (also sold as the Radioddity GM-30 and Pofung P15UV) offers similar functionality, but also offers USB-C charging. It is a little larger than the UV-5 series, at about 1/2" longer, and perhaps up to 1/8" thicker. Overall, it's not a much larger radio, but it feels a little bigger. As of now, it is not Chrip programmable, so to program it requires use of the front panel (for some functions) or the factory software.
The G11S (aka Pofung P11UV or Retevis RB27) may be another good option, although I haven't ever used or even seen one. In a quick search, I was unable to find the actual radio dimensions, so I can't compare the form factor. The simplicity of the radio may be better for kids, though, since it doesn't have the full front panel.
Something else to keep in mind is that the "bubble pack" radios from Midland and others are not compatible with repeater use. While this may not be a consideration at this time, you may wish to use a repeater in the future to increase your coverage area. The UV-5 series, TD-H5, and G11S radios are all capable of working with a repeater. This is just something to consider for the future.
Any of the radios mentioned would be fine for the intended purpose. I'm not a fan of the bubble pack radios because their battery systems aren't very good, and they don't offer the same functionality of other similarly priced GMRS radios like the UV-5G/UV-5X GMRS, TD-H5, or G11S.
 

Answer to the specific question of who uses MURS.  I do for sure.  Or at least I put it in radios I have with the correct power out setting.  MURS is nice because it's pretty lax on the license requirements (don't believe there are any) so you don't need any authorization or hold a specific license (like ham radio) to use the frequencies within the regulations set by the FCC.  This is handy when you are doing site work with others and need radios that are cheap and simple enough to program (being a radio tech I have a supply of that).  You just hand them out and collect them at the end of the day.  A CP200 or other cheap radio that happens to fall from 200 feet off a tower is MUCH less of a loss than having one of your VHF / UHF XTS5000's make that same gravity fueled trip and die that horrible death. 

I use MURS alot. Both in NY and now in VA I rarely hear anyone on it. Granted I am in the country. Its an excellent option especially when FRS/GMRS may be active in a certain area.