+1 on getting a ham radio license. qrz.com makes it easy to memorize all the answers. if you're just using it for convenience or emergency communication, you really don't need an in depth understanding.
where i live, hunt & backpack, there's no cell service for 50-100 miles. there's a repeater though & having the handheld ham radio allows me to talk to other hunters to get help packing an animal out or to tell my wife that i am once again hiking out long long after dark.
