Shaun Deller is well-known in Portland and beyond for his cycling-inspired caps. His business, Deller Recyclist Apparel, specializes in handmade hats sewn from recycled fabrics found at local thrift stores.
I’ve been a fan of them for a long time and Shaun is always swarmed with customers at my annual BikeCraft Holiday Bazaar.
But Shaun’s talents go far beyond sewing hats. He also has an interest in bike touring combined with practicing primitive survival skills. In an email this morning he wrote that this includes,
“Things like supplementing my diet with wild edible plants, building a shelter from what is around my camp, making fire with friction using found wood and tinder, and much more. I find that doing these things builds my awareness and connection to my environment.”
Last year he led the Wild Edible Plants bike tour and this year he’s taking it one step further. He has partnered with Trackers NW (a non-profit that teaches young kids outdoor and community building skills) for Le Tour de Survival.
Photo: Shaun’s blog
The two-day ride (April 20-22 May 18-20) will teach participants how to forage for wild edible and medicinal plants, how to make a fire using a bow drill and hand drill, how to make cord from stinging nettle fibers, how to build simple shelters, and how to “read the language of the forest through tracking, bird language, and awareness.”
Shaun says bikes are the perfect vehicle for this type of exploration,
“Touring on a bike is great because you can cover great distances faster than walking and still feel the shift of the land beneath you, hear the sounds, smell the smells and see the sights. It’s also easy to pull off the road and camp.”
The ride will take the MAX to Gresham and go into the Gorge via the Columbia River Historic Highway.
Shaun says he hopes to lead more tours this summer and that he thinks,
“There are a lot of cyclists out there with an interest in packing lighter when touring and feeling more confident in and connected to their environment.”
Sounds like an awesome adventure to me. To sign up and learn more about this ride, visit TrackersNW.org.
To learn more about Shaun, check out his blog.
Wow that wild edible stuff must be healthy. Shawn’s grown about 3 feet in just those two pictures.
Thanks anon…I just blew several ounces of soda through my nose…
Tony and the NW trackers are awesome. If you really want to get off the grid you would benefit from learning from these folks.
what’s that they say… “every animal has enough brains to tan its own hide”