Disclaimer: TideWe gave me this turkey hunting blind and this turkey vest to do this review, and I earn from qualifying purchases using their links and code, thanks to them for their support
The TideWe StrutCover See Through Turkey Hunting Blind can be a game changer for some turkey hunts. It is a well-built well-designed piece of equipment, but the biggest thing it does is enable hunters to successfully pursue turkeys in habitat that would be very difficult to effectively hunt otherwise. And when you combine that with the StrutBack Turkey Vest with Kickstand, you can comfortably access and hunt spots that you might not have been able to before. I am a big fan of each, but together, they create some impressive synergy. I have tested these in the field, but my season has not yet opened. So, I plan to come back and add any new insights gained while hunting.
Also, always check and abide by your local laws and hunting regulations to make sure blinds like this can be used in your area and during your seasons.
TideWe also kindly provided am 18% off discount code for my readers. Enter this 18% off discount code at checkout: GK18 for the TideWe See Through Turkey Blind or almost anything else TideWe sells. This discount is in addition to most sale prices.
Size & Weight
I was not particularly interested in this turkey hunting blind until I saw the weight. It comes in at about 3.4 lbs. And it’s small. Drastically smaller and lighter than most normal full-sized blinds. What these means is that you can cover a lot of distance on foot while carrying this, something that would be very hard to do with a full-sized ground blind. It packs up into a reasonably small bag that can go over your shoulder, fit in or get strapped to a pack, or in the case of the kickstand turkey vest, it fits perfectly in the back, as if they were made to go together.
Honestly, that is the superpower of this hunting blind and the kickstand vest, how easily you can carry it into the field. I used to use turkey hunting chairs some, but they are big, bulky, and heavy with no easy way to carry them. This blind and vest combo solves those problems. But more on that later.
Keep in mind this is not a full-size full cover blind. you need to be sitting on the ground or almost on the ground to have full frontal cover and it’s only three sides of cover, there is no roof. If you want a full-sized blind, check out my review of the TideWe full-sized see-through hunting blind.
Setup & Take Down
I timed myself setting up this turkey blind. It took about 30 seconds without staking it down. The blind also comes with stakes and strings to tie it down on windy days. That would add a little more time to the setup and tear down process. In my video you can see some of the process of putting it up. Likewise, taking it down is just as easy, maybe even easier. You can tear this down, fold it up, stuff it right back into the bag, and be on your way fast.
This blind does not need to be something you setup once for the day. Switching locations and moving is very easy. And if you need to do a short move, you can just pick fold the blind into thirds and reach your hand through the top and just pick it up and carry it like a suitcase, I show this in the video as well. This approach works when needed to reposition or move a short distance.
Is It Really See Through?
The top third or so of the blind is a semi-transparent mesh that provides a partial view of what is on the other side. It is certainly not fully transparent, and the lighting effects how clear it can be. But I like it. It provides significant cover and concealment from the outside while still letting you see approaching turkeys much better than a solid wall would!
Normally you will open one or more of the windows to give you a crystal-clear view of where you expect the turkeys to be. But you can still see a bit through the mesh, and you could shoot through it if the game is not in not in view through the window. I would not advocate firing an arrow through the mesh though, I think it’s a little too heavy duty for that.
Overall, I do think some of the marketing over plays the transparency of these types of hunting blinds. But it is still very useful. I am a big fan. Drastically better, and in my opinion, more fun than a solid wall blind.
Durability
I am surprised at both how durable this blind is and how light it is. It is surprisingly strong for its weight. That is most likely because it is so small. A full height blind with the same material made up of four walls and a roof would weigh a lot more. I once had a camo netting style blind of similar proportions, and it was nowhere near as durable or useful. This feels every bit as durable as full-sized hunting blinds. Time will tell how it holds up, but I am very happy with it so far.
Ideal Uses
This See Through Turkey Hunting Blind is so useful because it lets you setup in places that just would not work well otherwise, like edges of fields, big open areas, thick brushy areas, or anywhere without a big enough tree to lean against or too far to get a full-size ground blind to. There are a lot of places you can use this to great effect. And it’s not just helpful for turkey hunting. This would also be good for hunting deer, predators, and possibly even some limited waterfowl applications.
Normally with hunting blinds they have a black back panel, and you are supposed to wear all black in the blind. This blind is different. There is no back panel, it’s only three total sides. So, I have found it to work well when you wear full camo, and you have brush or some kind of cover behind you. When you do this, your concealment is fairly good. Big movements can still be seen through the mesh depending on the lighting and range, but this is going to keep you drastically more concealed than just sitting in the open.
Kickstand Vest Synergy
This blind by itself is a nice and useful piece of gear. But combined with the Kickstand Turkey Vest, it makes things so easy. The vest lets you hunt in places where there is no back support. You can just sit down anywhere and have a nice soft cushion, back support, and easy access to lots of pockets. Combine that with the blind and you can create a good spot in places that would not have worked otherwise.
The Kickstand vest also has a naturally occurring fold in the material on the back that holds this turkey blind snuggly. And it rests between some straps which keeps it impressively secure, even when moving. You could add a bungee cord or two and could probably hang upside down without the blind falling out. I was so impressed by this that I included a whole segment about it in my video review. This way you do not need to use a hand to carry the blind. It just works so easily.
Price
As of this writing, the See Through Turkey Hunting Blind price is about $80, and with the 18% off discount code, GK18 at checkout, that brings it down to around $65.60. But that discount code stacks on top of many of TideWe’s sale prices, so you might be able to get this cheaper at some point as well.
Conclusion and Recommendations.
Overall, I am a big fan of the turkey blind. It is a nice, specialized piece of gear that can be a game changer for some scenarios. However, there are plenty of turkey hunting situations where you just have no need for something like this. You should realistically assess how you hunt and where you hunt to decide if a tool like this is something you need or would use. I think it is the best tool I’ve yet seen for some scenarios. And for others, like sitting against a big tree in a stand of mature hardwoods, I don’t think a blind like this is needed.
Also, always check and abide by your local laws and hunting regulations to make sure blinds like this can be used in your area and during your seasons.
Be sure to listen to The New Hunters Guide Podcast and check us out on YouTube.
Till next time. God bless you, and go get em in the woods!
George Konetes Ph.D. – Founder and Host of the New Hunters Guide.
The New Hunters Guide is simply what George wishes he would have had when learning how to hunt; a single place to get practical hands on knowledge about different kinds of hunting, gear, strategy, and tips that can improve your comfort and fun factor in the woods.
As a note, TideWe gave me this hunting blind and this turkey vest to do this review, and I earn from qualifying purchases using their links and code, thanks to them for their support