Hiking and hunting are inspirations of invention for Hugh Jarratt of Fayetteville.
Whenever he pulled on his duck-hunting waders, Jarratt got irritated that his pants legs would rise and end up around his knees. So the 38-year-old attorney invented a pair of wader socks. The socks feature an extra outer cuff for tucking in pant legs. The cuff holds the pant legs in place so they don't ride up when waders are pulled on.
Now Jarratt has modified his wader-sock invention for the trail. He's come up with a sock specifically for hiking.
Jarratt's hiking socks feature the outer cuff for tucking in pant legs to ward off ticks, insects and poison ivy. They're also treated with the insecticide, Permethrin, to keep bugs away. Permethrin is deemed safe for skin contact, according to online information about the product. It's infused into the fabric of the socks.
The socks are made of a cotton-nylon blend, Jarratt said. They come in two colors, native cotton and coyote brown.
Jarratt has field tested the socks and emerged from the woods bug free. A little accident at home was additional proof that the socks work.
"Some ants got into a shelf at our house where some honey is. I dropped one of the socks in there and it ran those ants off," he said.
Jarratt's wader socks are on the market now. Bass Pro Shops sells them. Jarratt hopes to have the hiking socks available at area outdoor stores soon. The socks are made in North Carolina. Jarratt works out of a building behind his home getting them ready to sell.
Special socks aren't Jarratt's first invention. He's the inventor of The Taco Plate, which is available nationwide in stores and online. The plate holds three hard or soft tacos upright so the ingredients don't spill out.
Invention is "kind of a creative outlet for me. I really enjoy doing the product development. Getting an idea, then getting the product into your hands is a good feeling," he said.
When he's not working his day job as an attorney, the wheels of innovation are always turning to come up with new product ideas. In May, Jarratt filed for a patent on a pistol magazine he invented. He's a target shooter and noticed the last few rounds were difficult to load into a typical magazine. A new magazine he came up with makes those rounds go easier into the magazine.
Flip Putthoff can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWAFlip
Sports on 06/14/2016