That was until the confluence of two fortunate events - a repeater became available at a better price, and the Papamoa Rotary Club raised $5000 for it in this year's charity golf tournament.
Between that and the search and rescue group's own fundraising over the years, the purchase was made - and has already been put to good use.
Ms Brownless said it had already been deployed twice in searches in the Omanawa gorge in April and May, to great reviews.
The repeater could be taken to high spots in the vicinity of searches to greatly improve radio communications among search groups and with the operations base at the Tauranga Police Station.
The stretcher was purchased thanks to a $2356 donation from the Mount Maunganui Rotary Club.
Ms Brownless said a rescuer made a speech at the club and by the end of the evening, the cheque was written for the full cost of the new stretcher.
She said the stretcher was helpfully designed to break into four pieces to make it less cumbersome to carry during searches.
It was more comfortable for carriers and injured people, and was also compatible with the TECT Trustpower rescue helicopter's winch system.
Tauranga Land Search and Rescue had about 40 members and completed roughly 12 to 15 searches each year, Ms Brownless said.
Recent rescues
May 2 - A group of five trampers are reported missing in bush near the Omanawa Falls southwest of Tauranga about 7.20pm. Tauranga search and rescue volunteers found the group around midnight and bought them out of the bush, cold but without serious injury.
April 15 - A 17-year-old girl was trapped for several hours on a dangerous cliff face near Omanawa Falls in the Kaimai Range bush. Her father called in Tauranga search and rescue and managed to find her and help the team lift her to safety.