As I sit inside my Denver apartment, longing for the mountains just outside my window, I am taking a moment to reflect on how the COVID-19 Pandemic has affected my life, and how I can still maintain some normalcy. To the Rocky Talkie community, I am the Community Relations Manager. I am also the person who bakes muffins for our events, chats your ear off if you give me the chance, and starts mini dance parties wherever I go. But outside of Rocky Talkie, I am a Public Health Advisor with experience in Public Health Preparedness and Response. And now, more than ever, I cannot stress the importance of listening to the social distancing orders within your community, as well as, practicing proper hygiene.

We designed the Rocky Talkie for outdoor enthusiasts to have reliable communication in extreme conditions. With that being said, we are finding they have made the lives of our Denver-based team a little easier and safer during the pandemic. While you may not be out on an epic adventure, tackling a multi-pitch climb or dropping into a backcountry line right now, you can still use your Rocky
Talkie to stay connected. I hope these simple tips that our team regularly employs can help you stay connected and healthy!

1. Exercising at a distance with your friends.

Rocky Talkie walks, runs, and bike rides provide a fun and safe way of exercising with your friends while practicing social distancing. And to be honest, they take me back to my childhood when my friends and I would use radios to stay connected and explore our neighborhood. We must have been on to something as kids...

  

2. Safer grocery store runs.
To reduce our risk while grocery shopping we have started to use sticky notes for our grocery lists and Rocky Talkies to communicate throughout the store. The best part is Rocky Talkies can be easily disinfected when you get home. We did design them to be rain and snow proof after all, so lather on that Clorox! We find that using our Rocky Talkies while at the store keeps our cell phones cleaner, and makes it easier for us to coordinate, communicate, and get out of there!

3. Communication during self-isolation, if you do happen to get sick.

Unfortunately, the sad reality is that some of us may get sick. The best advice I can give to you if you, your partner, roommate or a loved one gets sick is to self-isolate and stop the spread. With that being said, using your Rocky Talkie while you are locked up in your room is a great way to request food, water, medical supplies, and most importantly, to keep yourself from going crazy!

4. Just for fun!

And finally, if for no other reason, we highly recommend you use your Rocky Talkies to stay in touch and have some fun. I consider myself an expert in this area, so here are a few of my suggestions:

• Chat with your fellow Rocky Talkie neighbors and friends! The Rocky Talkie will get up to 1 mile of range in a metro-area, and can transmit approximately 20 floors in a high-rise apartment straight up/down. Test it out, chat with your friends, and let us know how they do!
• Play I Spy with your neighbor from your window/patio. “I spy with my two eyes something green...”
• Flip through your channels to see if any other Rocky Talkie users are on the line. Sure this may take up a lot of time, but what else do you have going on? Plus, you might be surprised to find a new friend!
• Scare your roommate! Have you ever hidden a radio under someone’s bed? Sounds like a terrible idea, and it probably is, but it could be funny?
• Use them to entertain your kids. We built the radios to be super durable, so put them to the test! Plus, I am sure by now you need a break.

So while your next adventure might be out of reach for a little while, know that our team at Rocky Talkie cares deeply about you, your health, and safety. As such, we strongly encourage you to use your Rocky Talkie to help make your lives a little safer right now. And if not for safety, we definitely encourage you to use them as a little pick me up while you are stuck at home, away from the mountains, forests, canyons, and crags that will be calling your name when this is all over.

 

Much love,
-Darcie