# Refilling canisters for your airbag?



## splashover (Mar 10, 2016)

Getting more into the backcountry riding and just got my first airbag (BCA float 2.0). How do you refill the canister? I have a shop that does it locally but what about when you are out on the road?

I've been looking into the high pressure hand pumps but the cost of these vary wildly. Anybody have any experience to share?


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Have you checked with BCA? I use the Mammut system and they have a list published of shops around the world where one can refill, and for places where there ain't such, they told ne to look out for scuba diving shops or firedepartments; I just had to get an adaptor just in case. Don't know if that works with BCA canisters, too. I'd contact BCA to get that info.


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## splashover (Mar 10, 2016)

Yup, getting refilled before/after the trips is no problem but what do you do when you are out in the field? I'd hate to drive back into town because I accidentally deployed the bag.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

I figure that if I have to deploy a bag, that the trip is over. I did a test deploy at home where it was easy to get a refill, but wouldn't mess around with that out in the field. YMMV


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## lab49232 (Sep 13, 2011)

deagol said:


> I figure that if I have to deploy a bag, that the trip is over. I did a test deploy at home where it was easy to get a refill, but wouldn't mess around with that out in the field. YMMV


This. This is something you buy to never have to use. And if you do use it you absolutely shouldn't be worried about getting it instantly filled back up to get back on the hill, you should be taking some time sit down and reflect. And if you're accidentally setting it off, well I don't really see accidentally setting my airbag off as a concern, especially enough to buy extra equipment for it.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

deagol said:


> I figure that if I have to deploy a bag, that the trip is over. I did a test deploy at home where it was easy to get a refill, but wouldn't mess around with that out in the field. YMMV





lab49232 said:


> This. This is something you buy to never have to use. And if you do use it you absolutely shouldn't be worried about getting it instantly filled back up to get back on the hill, you should be taking some time sit down and reflect. And if you're accidentally setting it off, well I don't really see accidentally setting my airbag off as a concern, especially enough to buy extra equipment for it.


^^Pretty much this
However, you can either switch to a battery/fan system or buy another canister to switch out to. Also sometimes you might be able to toss some cash to ski patroller shed for an on-hill refill...but they might resist due to liability issues.

Also check with BCA because there are some updates, mods and some of the old canisters are outdated and will not be re-filled by authorized BCA re-fillers/dive shops. The remedy is to take pics of the head with serial #'s and have them warrantied. You will have to send in the old cans with an RA and upon receipt, they will send out the updated canisters. Btw there are also updated triggers, if you have some early BCA float packs. I had to do this last year for 2 cans. iirc the early bags can be interchanged but the new bags can not...I switched from a 20L bag to a 32L and just re-rigged the actual air bag/canister and trigger to the larger pack.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Agree with deagol and lab. 

I never bothered with a in-the-field refill, as my assumption is that if I had to deploy it? The day is over anyway. I'd be shocked enough to be in that situation and would have to rethink why this happened. It would have been a stark misjudgment of the current risk / prevalent terrain/snow condition, which would keep me off a mountain for days. 

An avy bag should not change ones risk assessment (like: uhm... bit sketchy maybe, but I have a bag, let's try it anyway). Suffocation is only one way to die in an avy. That's where a bag - IF you are deploying it (which many ppl forget in the shock of being caught) - CAN increase survival chances. But there are many other ways to die in an avy, like being smashed into rocks, taken over cliffs, smashed into trees... against such heavy trauams, the bag is useless. So... the main goal is always the same, bag or not: never get into an avy. And sure as hell not TWICE a day.

I own a avy bag since abt 6 years and have never been in a situation when I would have had to deploy it in the field. The bag has not changes our risk assessment, we still are very cautious, the same as it was w/o the bag. The idea of the bag is to increase the chances of survival. This number doesn't go up if at the same time, you lower your risk assessment.
My 2 coins.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Splash take a look/read ... its quite sobering. An on-hill or any refill would be the last of my thoughts.









Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek


Fresh powder beckoned 16 expert skiers and snowboarders into the backcountry. Then the snow gave way.



www.nytimes.com


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

He did say, accidentally deployed. Which I have seen happen twice and it was funny as shit both times. Once in the field at the end of the day, friend was changing over his splitboard and a ski caught the trigger handle and deployed it. The second time, the airbag was in the back of a friends Suby. It shifted around and deployed while they were driving out of the parking lot.

Anyway, most dive shops have the adapters to fill the canisters in the US. Outdoor shops vary. Call the local mountaineering shops and see if they do refills. Get a fan based airbag and don't have to worry about it.


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