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New this year from Barronett Blinds is their Hi-Five which features 1-way viewing fabric offering 360⁰ vision in an extra tall 5-sided blind. This unique 1-way fabric provides a great field of view from the inside while appearing completely camo from the outside. It is designed to be the largest blind of its kind and during my testing comfortably fit 4 hunters inside it at the same time.
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Barronett HI-FIVE Specifications:
FABRIC: 1-Way/OxHide™ 2-Layer Fabric
HEIGHT: 76″
SHOOTING WIDTH: 96″ x 96″
FOOTPRINT: 41.5 sq. ft.
WEIGHT: 36 lb.
CAPACITY: 4-Person
DOOR STYLE: Silent Hinged & Vertical Corner
HEIGHT TO BOTTOM OF WINDOW(S): 26″
WINDOW OPENINGS: 14
FABRIC WINDOW SYSTEM: Toggle & Loop
MESH WINDOW SYSTEM: Toggle & Loop
GROUND SKIRT: Yes
BRUSH HOLDERS: Yes
GROUND STAKES: 12 All-Terrain Ground Stakes
WARRANTY: One Year Limited
Out of the Box
The Hi-Five from Barronett Blinds comes with everything you need right from the factory. This includes the stakes, tie-down ropes, and even a backpack carry bag with a gear pocket and chair holder. In addition to blinds, Barronett also makes an awesome 360 Deluxe Wide swiveling chair which I used during this review. This was the most comfortable swivel chair I have ever used. It has independent leg adjustments to sit flat on uneven terrain, height adjustments, large feet to not sink into the mud, and a durable TearTuff™ mesh backrest.
Size
Barronett states that the Hi-Five is the “largest blind of its kind.” It is designed using a pentagon shape which creates “70% more space than a comparable 4-sided blind.” Spending time inside of it, I can say it is quite spacious. It has more than enough room for me and my gear. While testing this blind out, I was comfortably able to fit 4 people inside plus all of our gear. This is great for families, those looking to have friends film their hunts, or even big enough to camp in overnight. The width is approximately 96″ x 96″ in every direction. The general shape of a pentagon is close to a circle so you can think of it as having a comparable 96″ or 8′ diameter.
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The Hi-Five also features taller side walls, creating 76″ of head space. As a guy who is over 6′ tall, barely having to crouch to stand up gives plenty of elbow room.
Hi-Five Framework
As with all tents or blinds, a sturdy framework is needed if the structure is to survive the wind and rain. Barronett utilizes extra-large heavy-duty 10mm fiberglass poles along with die-cast aluminum hubs to increase the durability of the Hi-Five.
Each sidewall also has rope attachment points for staking down the tent. The stakes have a nice plastic T-handle for easy removal and the metal rod spirals to keep them staked in place. Even in 40mph winds on the open plans, these held the blind in place.
READ MORE: The Blind Bag – More Than You Need & Never Enough
Fabric
What I find to be the coolest feature of this tent is the 1-way fabric. This allows for 360⁰ views from inside the blind, while from the outside everything looks solid. Shown below is a picture of what it looks like from the inside vs the outside.
This fabric worked great. While it not only kept deer at 20 yards from detecting movement inside, it also blocked almost all of the wind. This made hunting in the freezing rain much more bearable.
Windows
The Hi-Five windows and door feature quiet toggle and loop attachments for noise-free adjustment. All of these are elastic, and there are multiple hooks for each window. This allows for partially opening or closing windows when trying to shoot from inside the blind. It is also a very quiet system that can be quickly adjusted even if deer have already got near the blind. Most windows also feature black-out panels for additional concealment. These can also be easily and quietly opened or closed.
The silent hinged door utilizes a zipper in addition to the loop attachments to allow for better sealing and wind resistance if desired. Where other blinds can be loud when attempting to get through the tarp door, the Hi-Five uses a hinge that allows the door to swing in and out. This also keeps the material from crinkling or flapping in the wind.
Camo Pattern on the Hi-Five
While I have had success with many different kinds of camo schemes, I have to say I am a fan of the Crater Thrive Barronett used with the Hi-Five. It looks great and blends in well in the terrain I would use it in.
Durability
While I have only used the Hi-Five for the past three or so months, it has held up better than anticipated. It has survived winds up to 40mph, as well as the rain. The most impressive testament to its durability in my mind is that it also survived getting doused by the end gun of an irrigation pivot. These things pump out a serious amount of water that would crush any sort of tent and most blinds, but the Hi-Five withstood it like a champ.
However, we had a strong windstorm and that had us waving bye-bye to the Hi-Five. The wind gusts were up to 50mph and corn had already been cut so the blind was sitting wide open in a flat field. These winds were strong enough to rip out some stakes, rip the stake loops, and send the blind hundreds of yards into tall brush in a water way.
Surprisingly, the blind sustained only minor damage in the form of a few ripped stake attachment points, but otherwise held up well! The same can’t be said of the feeder though. It was thrown over and sustained more damage.
Hi-Five Summary
For those looking for a blind that can do it all, the Hi-Five from Barronett Blinds fits the bill. While the MSRP for the Barronett Hi-Five is $499 it has been on sale for as low as $349. For the price, this hunting blind held up great and worked like a charm. Setup takes only minutes and provides a well-sheltered place to hunt from. As long as this isn’t left in the wide open in 50mph winds, it will serve you well.
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