so I don't want to give up my pocket from converting to a single dinn.
and I use the ash tray to hold some hollow point 357's and loose change
I don't want something to bang my knees on

so I was looking at hand held cb's

anyone have experience with those .....like this one

https://www.amazon.com/Midland-75-82...held+cb+radios

I'll let you know how it works in about a week when I return from my trip. That's what I have along with the Wilson Lil Will antenna and a set of Midland X Talker T75's

http://midlandusa.com/product/t75vp3/

The problem with that CB isn't the radio, its the antenna requirements...

If you dont do it right you end up with something out of tune and or with a very high SWR.

You should take the time to install an external antenna or have a mag mount setup correctly outside of the rig.

If you just want something works works better, look into a VHF radio that works with the MURS frequencies.

I'm using the same CB, and have been for a couple years. I also have a 3' Firestik mounted that I can hook it up to, and I have a 24" flexible antenna to connect to the CB.

Range is pretty good for what it is.

I have the CB it works well, I use a cobra magnet mmount antenna, it isnt terrible

A good antenna makes all the difference.

I run the same midland. It works well for what it is. I run mine off a Wilson 3ft flex antenna mounted off the rear door. Been thinking about going to a 4 ft to get it a bit more over the roof. I used to have a cobra handheld and the midland works a lot better.
In the end it's just another CB all of which have crappy reception especially when you're running around a mountain. Get your trail buddies to get their ham license and everyone will be happier.

Another option is the Cobra 75 WXST with a decent antenna install.

When you're not using it, just unplug and stow away where ever.

The cab is so small, I ended up with the 75 because everything else just sat around and got in the way.

I have the midland 75, and a lot of my buddies do as well. As long as you have a good antenna setup, works well. I have no idea how it works as a handheld outside of the vehicle.

any updates

Never really used it or the handhelds. (good thing I guess) Nobody really monitors the CB. The District Forest Ranger for the Okanogan I spoke with says they don't have CB's or Ham radios in their rigs. Once in a while I could hear some chatter but it was very insignificant. When I turned it on, it was nearly impossible to get the squelch controlled to a reasonable level. Pretty annoying. This was in either the handheld mode and the rig mode with the Lil' Will antenna attached. I just need to tune it into the antenna better (SWR). Not real happy. I felt like it was a waste having it. Still better than a hard-mounted one I think because of the limited real estate in our rigs.

As for the hand-held's, they were actually pretty good. It was easy to bring the squelch under control. Very clear and I could pick up chatter on them as well.

I think the better options are a ham radio and the two Midland hand-held's. Others can chime in here.

If you go that route, you can get Baofeng UV-5R for $26.83 a piece and will have access to 2M/70cm HAM bands as well as FRS, GMRS and much more... Can't beat that price for what you're getting. I suggest a genuine programming cable and an external dual band antenna (Tram) to use inside a vehicle.

https://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-UV-5R.../dp/B007H4VT7A

I think its worth mentioning that you need a licence to operate on HAM bands, as well as GMRS...

You should stick with FRS or MURS frequencies, but it should also be worth mentioning that its technical illegal to use ham gear (like the radio mentioned here) for those purposes too... you need type accepted equipment for both.

That said... you will find a large # of people who will be more than happy to ignore those two pieces of legitimate information regarding legality and the FCC... now at least you know if you decide to do it anyways.

If you do get a ham licence... the ability to access repeaters is a game changer... but if you need a CB because the rest of your crew uses one, nothing here is going to help you.

This is true, as well as previous statements about requiring proper license to operate on certain bands, unless you're listening and not transmitting... Anyway, as for CB, a good antenna and low SWR as mentioned by others is a must. You can sound good with a crappy radio and a good antenna but not the other way around. Invest in a basic SWR meter (~$20) and make sure to keep it below 2:1 ratio.

SWR POWER LOSS TABLE

Note: The section with 2.1:1 SWR = 112.6% LOSS on that URL is a typo, it's probably 12.6% loss.

Another good bit of advice is to tune your radio WITH THE ANTENNA CAP ON!
I'm pretty handy, but know next to nothing about CBs. I knocked the cap off my hood mounted antenna unknowingly and my broadcasts were super weak. Switched radios and added a rear mount antenna and had problems tuning until I put the antenna cap on to check the tune, duh... Works good enough to communicate on the trail now.