I'd also recommend a ham license. Not only can you communicate over such a distance, but you can also communicate with other hams who might be even further away. Of course, there will always be lots of other CBers to talk to too.

The big factors affecting range capability are the antenna and the terrain. Power is almost a secondary concern. As an example, I recently had a conversation with someone on VHF (about 146 MHz) over a distance of 20 km (about 12 miles). I was using a 1 Watt transmitter, *but* I was 100 metres (about 300') up a hillside. The other guy was on the flat. From the same location I can hit a repeater 80 km (50 miles) away.

I think your idea to use radio when the phones are out is a good one, but it's one of those things that you just have to try, since the specific location of yourself and your friend is going to dictate how best to do it. Both CB and ham radio are hobbies, so you can have fun figuring it out before you need to rely on it.

73,

A