New to the group. New to the subject. Trying to find any answers.

Some of my friends and I are planning a 110 mile canoe trip in Montana next
year. I would like to bring along a pair of walkie talkies that are
somewhat water proof, can accept AA batteries, have decent range, and have
NOAA in case the weather takes a turn. I've been doing research and found
the Midland GXT1000VP4 walkie talkies fit the bill.

Of all the websites I hit, only one brings up the FCC license subject. I
can't get a direct answer from anyone since everyone is trying to sell them
to me and not worried about what I think after they got my money.

Will I need an FCC license? They say the radios work right out of the box
but some of the channels might be blocked without the license. How much is
the license? Are the unblocked channels over crowded and worthless?

I guess there is no way around this. ??

Thanks.

Smed