Quick take: The GXT67 Pro two-way radios from Midland are an easy way to add tough, capable, and easy to use communications to your outdoor adventures. The impressive range and battery life paired with GMRS/FRS capability will keep you connected across a wide variety of backcountry travel scenarios.
Communication just makes everything easier. Personal relationships, work projects, and time in the backcountry all prove this statement to be true. For the space required to carry them in your rig two-way, radios should just stay in your vehicle full-time. The list of use cases is nearly limitless, but just to get your wheels turning; you can use two-way radios for communicating with a spotter, forays away from camp, vehicle-to-vehicle comms, exploring near (or far from) camp, and, of course, emergency situations. There are plenty of options out there, but unfortunately, many of them are basically toys, and they don’t stand up to long-term or hard-case use.
When it comes to any equipment I might need in an emergency, or even gear that use in the backcountry, I want to head out without worrying about them failing. The truck radio, a MicroMobile unit from Garmin, has be tried and true for nearly five years, so when the GXT67 Pro radios hit the market I knew that it was time to upgrade the rest of my comms system.
The Midland GXT67 is a 5-watt two-way radio that’s incredibly power to increase the range and talk time. Recently, I reunited with some old friends, and we convoyed for over three hours for a weekend of camping. During that drive, we chatted between trucks nearly nonstop, and as we approached the camp, I asked how everyone was doing on battery levels. And I was happy to hear the GXT67 Pros still had two-thirds of their battery capacity after hours of swapping jokes, commenting on roadside sights, and planning the weekend. The radios can be used while charging, and Midland advertises a 4-hour rapid recharge rate. I, however, found the cradle chargers to work even faster than the advertised time span.
The range and clarity matches the battery life, and I’ve yet to find the limits of the range even when communicating with friends along rugged hikes where line of sight was measured in feet. Plus, with a sturdy construction and water and dustproof rating of IP67 I don’t worry about an unexpected dunking or dusty conditions affecting the operation of the GXT 67 Pros.
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The GXT67 offers 5 watts of power, access to 22 standard GMRS/FRS channels, and it’s repeater capable. But this is a bit of an over simplification of the GXT67 Pros channel capabilities. For starters the 8 GMRS repeater channels provides incredible range. Plus these radios features 28 preset privacy code channels, up to 49-user defined channels, and NOAA Weather Alert Radio. The 49 programmable channels can be customized using free software on the Midland website.
In case you are unfamiliar with how repeaters work, a repeater, usually in the form of an antenna mounted on a tower, accepts a transmission, amplifies, and retransmits. This greatly increases the range of said GMRS transmission. Compact and easy-to-install repeater kits are available from Midland.
Keeping handheld radios in the truck at all times also requires them to have charging capability on the go. Midland includes two options for the GXT67 Pros. The cradle chargers with USB-C cables work great at home, and you could use those in your rig, but I appreciate that Midland includes a Snap-on DC vehicle charger as well. The coiled cables make it easy to plug these in without snagging the cord on something, and they’re useable while the radio is clipped in wherever you usually mount them.
And, as usual, I prefer to test the intuitvieness of a product to best understand how user friendly it is. If I can set up a tent, use a camp shower, or in this case, decipher the basic functions on a radio I’m happy with it. Midland did great job with the user interface on these radios, and it wasn’t until I became curious about the privacy channels and some other functions that I cracked the instruction booklets.
Editor’s Note: The GXT67 Pros’ GMRS capability is a big part of what sets them apart from other two-way radios. You need a valid GMRS license to use a GMRS radio in the United States. The license is only $35, valid for 10 years, and covers immediate family members for personal or business use. Midland Radios has more in-depth information on its site here.
What to know:
- Features: Lock Out Keypad, Whisper Talk, Headphone Jack, and Silent Operation
- Battery: Lithium-ion with16-hour battery life based on average operating cycle
- Environmental Rating: IP67 waterproof and dustproof
- Warranty: 3 Years
- MSRP: $199.99
