Newbie - pls help with this hypothetical scenario

Hi everyone, I know very little about two way radio communication and have been scouring the web to learn as much as I can.

My hypothetical scenario:

Five adults, rugged terrain, off grid. Ample solar/wind power. No legalities regarding government licensing. Primary utilization is security/integrity/reconnaissance of our property. No base station, no repeaters. Units must be capable of “secure” communication, etc. Must be extremely durable - one time purchase. From what I’ve read, it seems we’d be lucky to get 2 miles range. Willing to spend up to ~$300 per unit - maybe more. What specific handheld unit would you recommend? Thank you.

Your 2 mile range probably is realistic, but it is terain dependent. Almost any digital hand held radio can do what you want and with the level of security you need. The Chinese sourced ones tend to be less durable but the MD380’s are actually quite tough. My preference is Kenwood - quite a bit more expensive, and a good alternative to Motorola. The snag really is if there is a signal path in your location. Hand-held to hand-held is never that reliable.