Meshtastic

Anybody have any experience using mesh radios for communication while hiking?

The closest node for either one is 60 miles away, so I'm not really tied to either, but am interested in picking some up for communication out in the field while out of cell range.

I have some tech/electronics experience, and plan on making some solar powered relay nodes eventually so I can slap them on a tree or tall pole, but for now I have nothing.

Recent politically motivated events in my country, as well as weather, have made my decision to have a secondary form of communicating with my wife pretty easy, and I'd like it to be something relatively small I can pack into a bag or pocket, that's easy for my non-techy partner to use.