Shaun Deller

Shaun was born and raised in Pennsylvania where he spent his youth playing in the fields and forests that surrounded his small neighborhood. There he roamed free and wild, getting dirty, building forts in the woods, climbing trees, catching salamanders, and fishing for bass. Shaun attended the Maryland Institute College of Art where he studied painting, drawing, sculpture and fiber arts. In addition, he spent a semester in Aix-en-Provence, France refining his skills with a small group of artists.

Being a self-employed entrepreneur afforded him time to perfect his skills in ultra-light backpacking, bicycle touring and wilderness survival. Not only has he backpacked and cycled through much of the US and Oregon's varied terrain, self-training primitive and bushcraft skills, but he has done it with gear that he made with his sewing skills. His personal backpack, tent, sleeping bag, camp stove, water filter and clothing are all made from scratch with personally tanned hides, furs and recycled fabrics. Shaun has started many successful businesses including Deller Designs, which offers unique hats for cyclists from recycled wool and cotton garments.

Shaun teaches workshops with TrackersNW in the study of bushcraft skills such as: wild edible and medicinal plants, hide tanning, shelter building, felting, dyeing, basketry, navigation, tracking and backcountry travel. He also spends his days working an urban trapping line in Portland, OR, removing invasive species such as nutria and serving them to guests of wild food potlucks of which he is host. His experience as an artist, small business owner and adventurer has made Shaun a key component of the TrackersNW experience. Shaun has a blog that tells the story of his hat business and work with TrackersNW.