North Face or Mountain Hardwear for Bivy Tent

Opinions on North Face Assualt 2 Future Light versus the Mountain Hardwear AC 2 tent.  The MH would end up being more expensive than TNF.  Any advice or anecdotes are appreciated...

They're pretty new so I'm not sure you'll find a very educated comparison.

How tall are you? This is what I look like in most of those tents.

I’m curious why you write the MH will be more expensive than TNF? Is it because TNF has an included vestibule and the MH one would be extra? Mountain Hardware currently has 25% off everything, if you go to their website. So the AC 2 would be $487.50, not including the vestibule.
TNF tent weighs a pound more than the MH,  but the former weight probably includes the vestibule. I’m not sure which I would pick between the two.

Based solely on browsing the websites

1) MH is 10k water resistant vs TNF's 5k which might sway me if there was a chance I'd ever see rain.

2) MH's side panel guyouts look more bomber to me. The top one is most of the way up the tent.

3) TNF seems to have more features (well, windows mostly) and comes with a vestibule. I don't think I'd ever use a vestibule with a bivy tent, but someone might. 

What's your main reason for using? Emergency storms on mountain? Light weight backpacking shelter? Planned bivy stays in snow? All of the above? 

In order of answers:

- I'm 5'10 so shouldn't be too big of an issue on height.
- Due to discount codes available to me/store credits etc. The MH costs more due to the vestibule cost.
- Now that I think about it more, I see the point that a vestibule is not highly important in a tent meant for minimalist bivies on small areas.  That being said I would also like to use it for winter camping and the vestibule would be better.

Currently only own a shitty 3 season tent which has gotten me by in most situations.  Looking for a winter tent that can handle storms and will function as an option for technical route objectives in the next couple years.  I want something I can use in the Alaska range next season, but I would also like something versatile enough for bike packing, back packing, ski touring, could be used as a 1 man etc.  I guess something more storm worthy with wet snow than a BD first light, and small enough to use on technical terrain where a pyramid tarp would be too hard to pitch.  Open to advice on how to approach this purchase, but considering these tents due to cost (would pay close to 40% off retail on either) and current availability... 

I recommend looking at what Slingfin makes. The Crossbow 2 is very versatile with the different inner tents available. Or you can use just the fly and bathtub floor to go light (Crossbow 2 StormPak).
Slingfins are roomy with vertical walls and very strong.

https://www.slingfin.com/collections/all-tents

FWIW the things you've listed to use it for I actually think the vestibule is worth having. If not for gear, for having a place to cook in wind and rain while keeping some shelter without cooking inside your tent. I don't consider the tents you listed as being bivy style. More small tents imo. Have you looked into Hilleberg? They have some fairly bomber storm tents and would be worth checking into. Especially if you have any options for discounts. 

Patrick N wrote:Looking for a winter tent that can handle storms and will function as an option for technical route objectives in the next couple years.  I want something I can use in the Alaska range next season, but I would also like something versatile enough for bike packing, back packing, ski touring, could be used as a 1 man etc.  I guess something more storm worthy with wet snow than a BD first light, and small enough to use on technical terrain where a pyramid tarp would be too hard to pitch.  Open to advice on how to approach this purchase, but considering these tents due to cost (would pay close to 40% off retail on either) and current availability... 

Unfortunately no one tent can do all that well. 

Single wall bivy tents are pretty miserable other than exactly what they were designed for: short trips below freezing where a small footprint is necessary. In that environment they are way better than 2 bivy sacks for not much more weight. 

They are cramped and don't handle condensation well; I'm personally skeptical that any new fangled 3 layer waterproof/breathable membrane (eg Futurelight) is likely to perform anywhere near as well as a double wall. Mine is eVent and well... meh. 

Pretty suboptimal for fair weather use (bike/backpacking). 

Ski touring it'd be fine, fairly bulky when a floorless pyramid does pretty well. 

In the AK range as a primary tent or on route? I'm admittedly a bit of a princess but getting dropped off on a glacier by plane with a 2p bivy as my base camp tent? No thank you :-)

So the two tents you're looking at can do what you want in the strictest technical sense, but it might not be very pleasant. It's worth having one in your armamentarium if you're doing the kinds of things they excel at and you're getting a good deal, but I wouldn't get your hopes up so far as versatility.

I had an OR bivy single-wall that was wet and miserable.  I now have a Big Agnes Gore-Tex 3 layer single wall (Three Wire Bivy) that is quite nice. Both the fabric is better and the three-pole setup is great for space around head and shoulders.  The fabric is heavy however and although I bet it is lighter than a 2-layer bivy tent, probably not by much.

Be aware that strangely, many Bivy sacks can be zipped up all the way with no ventilation. They have a tag that says, "Suffocation Danger" that I didn't take seriously enough. I thought it was a warning for small children.  I zipped it up in a rainstorm and woke up seriously gasping for air. Probably a natural reaction to wake up and not just die, but what if you are drunk or high?  Anyway, take note as I'm not sure that is in "Freedom of the Hills".

Ney Grant wrote: I had an OR bivy single-wall that was wet and miserable.  I now have a Big Agnes Gore-Tex 3 layer single wall (Three Wire Bivy) that is quite nice. Both the fabric is better and the three-pole setup is great for space around head and shoulders.  The fabric is heavy however and although I bet it is lighter than a 2-layer bivy tent, probably not by much.

Be aware that strangely, many Bivy sacks can be zipped up all the way with no ventilation. They have a tag that says, "Suffocation Danger" that I didn't take seriously enough. I thought it was a warning for small children.  I zipped it up in a rainstorm and woke up seriously gasping for air. Probably a natural reaction to wake up and not just die, but what if you are drunk or high?  Anyway, take note as I'm not sure that is in "Freedom of the Hills".

Which OR model? I have the Helium (I think) but haven’t taken my first trip with it yet. Planning to have a tarp overhead so I can leave the zipper open with only the big net closed, and my bag will stay dry that way too.

It was the Helium. A tarp would help, but that adds weight. Even with the bag open near your head I found my bag would be wet each morning with the Helium's fabric, whereas the fabric of the Big Agnes would not leave my sleeping bag damp. WAY more comfortable with the "three-wire" set up around your head.