A handheld with an external antenna such as a dual band on your ladder should let you reach local and sometime not so local repeaters. I have reached repeaters well over 25 miles away with a 5w handheld and a mag mount antenna. I operated that way for the two yearsides before I upgraded my mobile radio.
When I travel, I program in a few local repeaters then scan for a while to see what I can hear. Eventually I'll pick up a net of some kind and check in. When I'm on the road, I listen to 146.520 and occasionally make a conract.
I see VHF/UHF mobile radios advertised for under $200 that would give you a bit more power.
I'm thinking that you shouldn't get a radio like the 857 unless you are serious about general, which I have found to be well worth the effort (I just acquired an FT897 that will be my camping radio once I get the antenna for it).
73
W7DAF
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