Definitely don't stop at CB. Get a CB, yes, but go get your technician level amateur radio license. While studying for that license, you'll learn that output power on CB's is limited by the FCC to 4 watts[1], but with a technician license you can go to far more watts than you actually need (1500W)[2]. I have a CB and a HAM radio in my both of my Jeeps, and the HAM radios blow the doors off what the CB can do. Even the handheld HAM radios run circles around the CB's-- both in terms of communication distance, but also in the wealth and variety of people you can talk to both locally and around the world. For emergency communications you have a lot of better options once you have your ham radio license. Best of all, in the process for preparing for the exam, you'll learn all about what those options are.
The exam itself is not hard; my wife crammed for it starting on a Thursday evening and passed it on Saturday. If you're actually interested in learning about the options and the technology though, taking your time to read and learn is a better idea. There's a wealth of information online and in widely available exam guides about preparing for the test and getting your license.[3]
The exam itself is not hard; my wife crammed for it starting on a Thursday evening and passed it on Saturday. If you're actually interested in learning about the options and the technology though, taking your time to read and learn is a better idea. There's a wealth of information online and in widely available exam guides about preparing for the test and getting your license.[3]
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CB_radio_in_the_United_States#...
[2] http://www.arrl.org/frequency-allocations
[3] https://www.amazon.com/ARRL-Radio-License-Manual-Spiral/dp/1...