Backcountry Access BC Link 2.0
Best radio from the Fall/Winter 2018 Gear Guide.
Pretty much everybody who’s skied in the back- country knows about the Link. The radio, which has a wallet-size base that you stow in your pack and a computer mouse-size mic, has been the best option for recreational users—until now. The upgraded 2.0 is smaller, more weatherproof, and more powerful.
THE DETAILS
The 2.0s can communicate up to 6 miles apart in mountainous terrain—a significantly greater range than their predecessors—letting us check in on one another on a trip in Colorado’s Elk Mountains. Waterproof screens inside the speakers prevent snow from clogging the mic (an issue with the old model), and the 2.0’s recharge- able battery lasts about four days in the cold (400 hours in standby mode). The 2.0s have the same user-friendly design (just three glove-friendly knobs for volume, channel, and talk mode).
TRAIL CRED
“They can talk to the original Links (and other FRS/ GMRS radios), so I was able to communicate with my friends on a tour in Rocky Mountain National Park, even though they had the old ones,” one tester says.
Weight: 12 oz.
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See more of the best Snow Safety Tools for Winter 2018
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