Search

Flight Mode with Sneaker Designer Thomas Van Do

11.19.19 | By
Flight Mode with Sneaker Designer Thomas Van Do

As Global Design Director Action Sports at Adidas, Portland-based Thomas Van Do’s litany of responsibilities all fall under the development of the athletic gear brand’s action sports division, focused on the sports of skateboarding and snowboarding. It goes without saying, Thomas has a perpetually roving eye for fashionable utility, but his travel kit also mixes in some pragmatic items applicable to any traveler. In this Flight Mode, he shares what’s packed in his carry-on when he jets off for work or play.

Garret Leight Sunglasses
Even though I live in Portland and I rarely get sun, these sunglasses are a must while traveling. My pair are specifically the Kinney Butterscotch sunglasses with prescription and green lens to hide from the bright sun.

Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer
As a self-professed germaphobe I feel like I can never have enough hand sanitizer when traveling on planes. A bottle of Purell is always packed for this purpose.

Bravo Kilo Block I Bag
I call my Bravo bag my bum bag, used for scouring and storing things while traveling. This is what I use to carry all of my essentials and is constructed of Cordura 500 denier Nylon with 210 denier Oxford Nylon linings, with a MOLLE strapping system on the outside.

Field Notes Notebook and Tanner Goods Pony Express Leather Pouch
I like to have a note book to doodle on the plane, so I bring a Field Notes with me every time I fly off. This leather Tanner Goods case is just an extra that I like for its good style.

Smokiez Medical Grade “Sativa” Edibles
A pack of these keeps me relaxed while keeping the creative juices flowing.

Goyard Passport Wallet
A simple solution for safely keeping my credit card and passport. Maison Goyard of Paris has been making travel accessories since 1853.

DenTek Easy Brush
Gotta keep them pearly whites clean!

The North Face Media bag
It’s small and easy to travel with, and adequately holds all of my tech shit, and then some.

I also bring a 9.7″ Apple iPad and a pair of Sennheiser 380 HD Pro headphones (a discontinued model) wherever I go.

You can follow Thomas Van Do’s travels and adventures over on his Instagram.

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.