Range is a joke!

I bought these in hopes of communicating with my son while he is at his friends house. The joke is on me! Now I dont expect to get anywhere near the 5 mile range that is printed on the box, but to not even be able to get 1/4 mile in my neighborhood is pathetic and yes this is with both of us outdoors. I am very dissapointed because they have a couple of features that I was looking for. They have re-chargeable batteries and are small enough for my 8 year old to put in his pocket. Hopefully they will work better at the campground.