Side vs Chest Bivy Entry

I've owned 4 bivies- all chest entry. Is it a hassle to enter them? Sure. But it's not a very big deal. Slipping into one is easier than slipping into a zipless or mini-zip bag…that is for sure! I've never found it to be much of a problem.

However, I would imagine that a side entry is easier. I've never had one because I'm usually looking at the lightest weight options, because there aren't that many that are side entry, and because I like the simplicity of the chest entry.

I have the previous generation of Ti Goat bivy with a chest zip, and don't find it particularly difficult to get in and out of.
I just sit on the head, swing my legs under, and slide in.

Yep, I agree with the others regarding the chest zip. While it's not the easiest of tasks, it is only done once a day…hopefully. I have the older Ti-goat bivy and I pretty much curl up in the top section and extend my legs around and down. If I were to get another bivy, i would take a serious look at the side zip bivy…looks like it would be easier and seems it would ventilate better aswell.

I own 2 bivies, one with chest entry the other with a side entry.

Main bivy is an Integral Designs Salathe, not the lightest thing in the world, but has been a worth every penny, been using it for close to 6 years now.

In inclemental / cold weather I personally prefer chest entry to the side entry, I find it easier to ventilate without being soaked from side spray, splashback or deluges.

Another thing to is that with a chest entry, one doesn't have to worry about what side the zipper of sleeping bag is on, that is one draw back to the side entry bivy (an old marmot), the side the bivy entry is on, determines the side zip sleeping bag would be compatible with. You can use a left zip sleeping bag with a right zip bivy, but it is really a pain)

One merit to side entry is ventilation in warm humid weather, one can just peel the cover off, like a sleeping bag, however, the biggest drawbacks is bug control (lack of bug netting, the salathe has one built in), and in my experience, hard to ventilate in crappy weather.

Also as in terms of getting in or out, with a chest entry it doesn't matter, one can get out on either side, however, with a side entry,restricted to which side one can exit. I find both equally easy to get in and out off.

Hope this helps!

I only have a side-zip bivy, a MH Conduit, which has a waterproof zipper. My bag is a Marmot Hydrogen, half-zip. I can't imagine using a chest zip bivvy with the Hyrdogen…

When I use the bivy, I sit near the top of the Hydrogen with both bags half open, shinny my legs into the Hydrogen while in a sitting position, alternate pulling on the two zippers to chest level or so, lean back, then alternate the zippers 'til closed (or whatever level I need). (Sometimes I forget to close the bivy–oops!)

I did use a bug bivy with a chest-only entry, and I felt like cutting the netting with a knife it was so frustrating to get into.

I think the advantages of a side zip are:
-Easier to get in and out of.
-Easier to ventilate (which I need for the Conduit membrane fabric). Can easliy take the bivy off (open all the way) from a sitting position (and while half-awake).
-Easier to insert the sleeping bag into. Don't laugh, you should have seen the shennanigans to put the bag in that chest-entry bug bivy!
-Can use the bivy without a ground cloth and not get dirt inside either bag. With chest entry, some part of your feet/butt/knees has to remain outside the perimeter of the bivy until you've inserted your legs. At least that's been my experience.

Is there an alternative to either zipper location? Bodybag style (down the front/top) maybe? Not very waterproof, unless the zipper is special… How 'bout a diagonal zipper, from chest to waist, kind of like the seam on toilet paper tube? Maybe this has already been done…

Pika actually did a chest to waist zipper wavy style entry (kinda like the toilet roll you were describing).
Interesting looking bivy, the owner disliked it quite a bit
and ended up getting himself an Integral Designs So Col.

I think Integral Designs has it spot down for the chest entry level, a part of it folds / rolls down, it sort of like a psuedo side/chest entry, let me see if I can post some pics on it.

I have used Marmots bivy, OR bivy, and equinox bivy(more of sleeping bag cover, but awesome indeed!)

Both the Marmot and OR are beautiful bivy bags, but found the entry on the OR a pain (a head entry), venting was a pain in the OR. The Marmot was a side zip, and it was awesome for getting in and out, but found the venting options in cold or inclemental weather to be rather lacking.

Nat,
Beg Pardon-
Your PM doesn't seem to be operational…

Lithium Metal ? Please e-mail me
greg at smgm dot org

Thanks.