I was not even in the wilderness, during the East Coast black out. I was out in a car in a major city's suburbs. When the power went out I had a cell phone, I had what was so post to be a top of the line Microwave linked genny backed up mobil radio system provided from where I worked, We had access to the twisted pair, (old wired phones). They all failed. All of them. I pulled a VHF mobil and a mag mount antenna out of my brief case and was able to contact my XYL at home.
The big thing that every one does not seem to understand is during a true SHTF or apparently now with the Government proposing a law that lets them shut down the internet, and I would guess cells. You will not be able to depend on anything that depends on any kind of infrastructure support. None Had it not been for ham radio my wife qnd I would not have talked for hours, My son who was 40 miles away would not have known what to do for the whole three and one half days the grid was down.
it is really not something to guess at, if you want to be able to communicate with family members, or friends Ham radio is the only for sure way you can do that. It could be set up as a second or third back up as mine was. First was cell it was dead, second was wired phones it was out of order, third was Ham radio it worked. Now with the smaller multi band radios, UHF,VHF and HF I would go with one of those. In fact I have one. I can now be 200 miles from home, to far for VHf and still talk to them at home from my car, any time with out question. it;s the beauty of ham radio there are bands for every need.
If communications is important to you There is no other way, if it is not worth a little work them it is not worth it.
Just my thoughts
SM