Ameristep Brickhouse Blind

Back in November, I purchased the Ameristep Brickhouse Blind. I was interested in this ground blind for trying out new spots for the whitetail rifle season.

The hub type blind is large at approximately 66" tall, and a width of 75" by 75". It comes in a decent backpack style pack and weighs 18lbs. It is no problem to carry short distances, but I wouldn't recommend long distance hikes with it. The pack measures 12" wide by 46" long and has adjustable straps.

The 10 windows in the blind accommodate 360 degree viewing. What is most impressive is that it has "shoot-through" mesh camo, but I have not yet had the opportunity to try this feature out. It also provides velcro flaps that open and close, but they seem to be a bit louder than I would like. I believe the 2010 model has eliminated the velcro flaps and switched to a silent loop closure. If you can find this model, I highly recommend it over the older version.

The windows also offer gun ports on 3 sides of the blind, which is a must for turkey hunting. For hunting with a rifle and scope, it is a rather small hole, but would work. Making sure you find a good chair at the right height is key to seeing out these windows. In my case, I used an old computer desk chair.

As for the camo, the blind comes in Realtree AP HD, so make sure the pattern works in your area. It does have a slightly shiny glare when the sun hits it, but it isn't terrible. I was also impressed to see small pockets to place branches through the top of the blind to give it more of a natural look.

For scent elimination, the blind has a carbon enhanced scent blocking black interior, which works great for those windy days to keep the scent in the blind. It also comes with tie-downs and stakes for high winds, but I haven't had to use them yet. The blind seems to be pretty sturdy without being tied down. The blind is also marketed as being weatherproof. So far, I agree with that.

This is my first hub style blind, so setting it up for the first time was slightly challenging, however, in a matter of minutes, I figured it out. Taking the blind down was simple. This is going to be perfect for turkey hunting!