So, you’re all geared up and ready to go, but just need a little something for communication with the rest of the group?
Using walkie talkies on the slopes are great for chit chat at the best of times and a dependable method of communication at the worst, if something should go wrong.
They’re also handy off-piste where they can be used for callouts when leading a group of skiers.
When you’re hitting the slopes, you want a rugged, winterproofed model that you can depend on.
Fortunately for you, we’ve compiled a shortlist of the best ski walkie talkies right here, complete with their pros, cons and a writeup about why they’d be best suited to your skiing adventures.
We have even gone as far as to include a buying guide complete with an FAQ so that you can see how we judged the product options and why they are the best for you.
This way, you won’t wipe out when you try to make your purchase.
Best Ski Walkie Talkies – Reviews
- Powerful long Range Coverage: Up to 5 mile communication range, depending on terrain and conditions. With 22 channels and 121 privacy codes, totaling 2,662 combinations, easy to find an available...
- NOAA Weather Scan and Alert: NXGKET walkie talkies support NOAA's National Weather Service, it can scan 10 NOAA radio channels transmitting in your area. The upgraded speaker can hear more clearly,...
- Rechargeable Walkie Talkies 4 Pack: Built-in 1800mAh lithium Battery, don’t have to install battery. More economy, eco-friendly, and you don't need to buy and discard the batteries again and again...
- Easy to use with Multi-features: Bright color finish helps with visibility, NXGKET walkie talkies has large LCD screen, support many advanced features, as volume adjustment, Voice-activated(iVOX),...
- Perfect for All Ages to Use: NXGKET walkie talkie is a great communication tool for men, women, kids, and elders to talk. It provides long-range communication which is good for skiing hiking,...
- 【Diversified functions】FCC ID: 2AX68PX-888S, 16 preset channels can be selected by rotating the knob on the 2 Way Radios to select any channel within the frequency range; you can program 50 CTCSS...
- 【Long-Range communication】walkie talkies long range can reach 3 miles in open areas such as rural areas, suburbs or seaside, etc. where there is no shelter. If in cities or towns, walkie talkies...
- 【Durable battery】Under normal circumstances,walkie talkie can be used for 8-96 hours with a full charge, and up to 8-12 hours with continuous use. The actual time depends on the frequency of...
- 【Lightweight and compact, suitable for multiple scenes】Small size and light weight, Hard and durable shell, drop-proof, Rainproof, this Handheld two way radio transmitters are suitable for hotel...
- 【After-sales service】pxton walkie talkies, provide return and money back service within 30 days and lifetime customer service. If you have any problems, please tell us through the Amazon...
- UNLIMITED COMMUNICATION TIME — The rechargeable walkie talkie supports micro USB charging. You can charge them indoors, on the road, and even camping and hiking, and you do not need to pay for...
- LONG RANGE TRANSMISSION AND CRYSTL CLEAR SOUND — With upgraded custom helix gain antenna,super penetration,and lossless transmission technology. You can speak clearly and your kids can hear clearly...
- CRYSTAL CLEAR SOUND — Upgrade to larger speakers, automatic noise reduction technology, and stronger penetration, you can hear clear sound without distortion even in noisy environments, and adapt to...
- NOAA EMERGENCY WEATHER BROADCAST ACCESS — Nature is unpredictable, but you can be prepared and ready in the face of her fury. NOAA Weather Alert can sound an alarm indicating that there is a risk of...
- EASY TO USE — The ergonomic shape of the handle grants an easy grip. And use in one touch with a simple and speedy setup within 10s to enjoy crystal clear communicating sound. Without any problem...
- FOR TALKING TO A GROUP DURING ALL YOUR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES: Milo allows every member of a group to communicate hands-free and eyes free while hiking, biking or skiing. No phones or WiFi needed. Forget...
- MILO’S RANGE EXTENDS AS A GROUP SPREADS OUT: Milo creates its own secure MiloNet mesh network of up to 8 connected devices, providing uninterrupted voice conversations between two Milos reaching...
- HANDS-FREE, PRIVATE COMMUNICATION: No need to push buttons to talk - enjoy seamless multi-way conversations with everyone in your group while you’re in the thick of any adventure. Easily connect...
- ADVANCED WIND AND BACKGROUND NOISE SUPPRESSION: Whether you’re cruising at high speeds or in extreme weather conditions, Milo’s advanced wind and background noise suppression with integrated high...
- RUGGED & WATERPROOF WITH ALL DAY BATTERY: Designed to meet the challenges you face on all active adventures, the rugged Milo is impact resistant, works in freezing cold temperatures and has an IP67...
- Two-Way Communication -Maximize your ability to keep in touch with loved ones or manage group activities effortlessly with our advanced two-way radios. Featuring long-range connectivity, these walkie...
- Features - These walkie-talkies feature 50 GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) channels, along with a channel scan so you can quickly check for activity. The JIS4 waterproof protection makes these...
- Stay In Touch - Experience unparalleled communication reach with our advanced radios, up to 36 miles. Equipped with EVOX technology (Easy Voice and Sound Activation Transmission), our radios offer 9...
- What's In The Box - This package includes a pair of high-quality radios, secure belt clips, a convenient desktop charger, long-lasting rechargeable battery packs, both AC and DC adapters for versatile...
- NOAA Weather Scan & Alert - NOAA Weather Scan will automatically scan through 10 available weather (WX) band channels and locks onto the strongest weather channel to alert you of severe weather...
- NXGKET WALKIE-TALKIES: The 4-pack walkie-talkies are compact, durable, and environmentally friendly, and also support many advanced features, such as an intelligent control system (auto squelch, auto...
- DURABLE LITHIUM BATTERY: NXGKET FRS two-way radio walkie-talkie comes with two 2-in-1 USB C charging cables, you can charge four walkie-talkies at the same time anywhere, built-in 1200mAh rechargeable...
- LONG-RANGE TRANSMISSION: NXGKET Long-range walkie-talkies can handle different scenarios easily. Adopt upgraded custom gain antenna and lossless transmission technology with automatic noise reduction...
- NOAA EMERGENCY WEATHER ALERT: Use the NXGKET NOAA Walkie-Talkies even in remote areas without cell service. Act faster with NOAA weather alerts, be prepared for unpredictable weather conditions, and...
- COMPATIBLE WITH ANY 2-WAY RADIOS: There are 22 channels, and 122 privacy codes to choose from for the two-way radios (2684 combinations). You can communicate with other FRS radios by using the same...
Best Ski Walkie Talkies – Buyers Guide
How to choose the best ski walkie talkies
It can be daunting to try and find the best walkie talkie if you don’t know much about your tech. Even if you do, walkie talkies are uncommon enough nowadays that they’ve been relegated to outdoorsy niches, so you still might need a guide to choosing the best ski walkie talkies if you’re new to the hobby.
So, lets start off simple with the size. If you’re skiing, you’ll probably be packing a lot to get comfortable in those alpine conditions. This means that having the lightest possible walkie talkie without sacrificing performance and functionality is important. Your walkie talkie should be about seven inches long and three inches wide to fit within the dimensions of both your bag and pocket.
Battery life is the next simple feature to look for, and you can probably guess how much you’ll need. Look for a walkie talkie with the best battery life you can find. Walkies aren’t phones, their batteries can last a lot longer, they can remain on standby for about a whole day.
The more upmarket models of walkie talkies have weather station information and built-in flashlights which can drain battery levels faster. Spare batteries are obviously recommended, you don’t want to get caught outside with no means of communication or illumination. Though bulkier, portable chargers are also a good idea and come with some of the more expensive walkie talkies in a bundle.
You don’t need to know much about either skiing or walkie talkies to know that walkie talkies have ranges that they can broadcast to. This is obviously a huge feature to inform your purchase since mountainous regions limit the ranges of talkie and radio transmissions.
This means that, if you’re taking a walkie talkie into the hills, you’ll want it to be one with a great range on it. We’re talking 25 to 30 miles, which may sound excessive but let us explain.
Some of the best walkie talkies for range will have about five or six miles of transmitting distance in them if the target of your communications is behind some obstacles, which mountains happen to be. The topography of the area will stunt the transmission range so much that these same walkie talkies will have a 30-mile range if those mountains weren’t around and the other walkie holder was in your line of sight.
Given the wintry climates that are required for skiing, having a weatherproof/snow-proof walkie talkie is a must. Weatherproofing comes in different tiers of effectiveness that are indicated by the manufacturers on their product pages. They can be summarized as being in two broad categories.
These are waterproof and weatherproof, which for the purposes of skiing is snow-proof and cold weather resistant.
Water-resistance and waterproof denote the two extents that a walkie is unable to be deactivated or destroyed by water, with water-resistance being the weaker. The gold standard of waterproofness isn’t necessary with ski walkie talkies since snow is the main problem, so a model that is moderately water-resistant is fine for the purposes of defending against drips from melted snow.
Most ski walkies will retail with waterproof qualities anyway, there’s little chance they’ll need protection from full water immersion but it’s a good feature to have.
Weather-resistant and weatherproof walkies aren’t waterproof, weather capability is a separate rating almost exclusively reserved for describing how well tech stands up to extreme weather elements.
These are invariably cold in nature, and so weather-resistance is when walkie talkies have protections from some cold conditions and weatherproof is where walkies go above and beyond in their protection from the climate.
Weatherproof is the hardier feature and the best to have if you’re taking your tech skiing with you, this way it’ll hold up to the extreme cold and any tumbles you may have.
The better two-way radios have mics and headphone jacks for more clarity of spoken and received communications, something which can be invaluable when buffeted by loud winds, like during skiing for example. These make it easier to communicate while on the move as you don’t even need to hold the walkie talkie the whole time.
A more complicated feature, the best ski walkie talkies have some form of weather alert built into them. Most use NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) weather stations to gather information that is especially handy if you’re skiing off-piste and need to get the lie of the land.
Walkie talkies with this handy feature warns when bad weather is inbound, and often does it before you’ve started so that you can call the skiing off if the danger is grave enough. After warning of inclement weather, some can even go as far as recommending safety precautions if you draw a blank when trying to think of what to do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do I Need A Walkie Talkie for Skiing?
Walkie talkies have some advantages over standard phones when it comes to their applications in the wild. Firstly, modern cell phones aren’t the most durable pieces of kit out there like a decent walkie talkie is. Even your standard walkie talkie can take more punishment than most phones nowadays, and that’s before the walkies have been treated and designed to defy the elements. They not only communicate with no middleman costs, but they are great for emergencies and some even have flashing lights to draw attention to them.
How to Use a Walkie Talkie for Skiing?
This depends on the type of talkie and the networks they’re based on. Two-way radios are the easiest to use since there’s only the two of you operating off of calls and responses once you’re tuned into the correct channels. Then you just talk into the mic and listen for the response by letting go of the PTT (Push-To-Talk) button.
With more sophisticated setups like those that come with headsets and VOX (Voice-Operated Exchange) you’ll be listening to your group through ear or headphones and the VOX system will automatically transmit your talking without having to depress the PTT button. This is ideal for ski walkie talkies since, as you can imagine, they allow for their use while busy on the slopes with both hands occupied.