Cylinder Refill Instructions

BCA encourages practicing the deployment of your airbag at least once per year. Once you have discharged your compressed air cylinder, you will need to bring or send it to BCA, BCA Canada, or to an authorized BCA Float cylinder refill station.

Cylinder exchanges with Backcountry Access:

If you send it in to BCA or BCA Canada, please call or e-mail us to receive a return authorization (RA) number:

E-mail: info@backcountryaccess.com

Phone: 303.417.1345

This will cost approximately $50, including shipping and handling, and will vary depending on geographical location and the number of cylinders exchanged. There are no special regulations for returning empty cylinders. However, BCA or the BCA authorized refill center will be responsible for hazardous material fees. Please allow two weeks for the recharged cylinder to arrive. Due to hazmat regulations, it is not possible to expedite shipping.

Be sure to include your RA# on AND inside the package.

Cylinder exchanges with authorized retail locations:

BCA authorized refill stations charge approximately $20 for refills if there is no shipping involved. Do not attempt to recharge the cylinder at locations that are not authorized by BCA, as this process requires training, documentation and parts provided by BCA. For a list of BCA authorized refill stations, please see below.

Please contact retail locations before sending in your cylinder. Each location will have a slightly different refill policy.

Click here to see the full list of cylinder refill locations.

We caution against refilling cylinders on your own. The following documents and video are for informational use only.

Float Refill Instructions – English