BIFL Back to School Megathread
-
Drop your recommendations for the following
- Pens (ballpoint, gel, fountain)
- metal ruler
- water bottle
- backpack
- pe bag (duffel or drawstring)
- Scissors
- Keyboard and mouse
- Laptop
- lunch box
- wallet
- lever arch folders
- sharpener
- power bank
Thanks
I am hitting Lemmy character limits so… this is Pt 1 I guess
Pt 1
Disclaimer
These are all recommendations from one particular internet weirdo. This is not the gospel truth. You should not take anything I say as final and should compare what I’m saying against what you’re seeing other places. These are largely opinions I’ve developed over the course of many years living with an ADHD brain. I have, where I can (and where I remembered) included links to product purchase pages. These are not affiliate links. I just thought it would be easier to make decisions if you could actually see the things in an online storefront.
Further Disclaimer
I’m assuming from the set of items requested that the list is for a college aged student making moves towards living independently. I will be making some recommendations based on this foundation.
Final Disclaimer
If I skip a requested category it is not because I disagree with the asking, it is because I have no opinion on the subject matter and cannot provide valuable input.
Writing Utensils
Pens
Generally speaking, you want to ignore all of the hype fountain pens receive for being BIFL because your primary attrition mechanism on campus will be loss. It won’t be until you leave college and enter the work force and have a first place (home), second place (work), and if you’re lucky third place (bar, library, park) that you’ll truly be able to trust that you’ll know where to find lost writing utensils. It is true that fountain pens can have a lower environmental impact thanks to near infinite re-usability and water based ink, however they have a higher initial manufacture cost that completely obliterates your good intentions if you never see your pen again. Having several different places you make notes, study, and just generally write things down is incompatible with this form of writing device. If you do decide to get a fountain pen, anyway, treat it as a desk pen except for on particular occasions. Maybe you’ll have like fountain pen fridays where you bring it with you. IDK. But keep that thang at in your room, not on you, and make sure you trust your roommate, okay?
Fountain Pens
Fine. I couldn’t talk you out of a fountain pen. Okay. It’s whatever. I don’t mind. Here are my recs:
- Platinum Preppy - While this pen is at first glance designed to be disposible, you can refill them for as long as you want, and it contains the same nib section as their $50 pens. If you get the EF you will be hard pressed to find a finer writer for less than $70. This is an EXCELLENT value pen. At $8 you will hardly be heartbroken if you lose it because you took it with you everywhere because you thought my advice was hokum Purchase link
- Pilot Metropolitan - How time has passed this pen by. 10 years ago this was the most incredible deal anyone could imagine. Now it’s $20 more expensive and instead of feeling like a steal it just feels like “Yeah you pay a little more for a little higher quality pen. IDK what to tell you.” This is the TRUE BIFL choice in this proprietary cartridge/converter space. What the Preppy lacks in feeling like it can survive to your deathbed thanks to its plastic construction, the Metro gives you one of the most durable constructions in fountain pens at the cost of a paltry $25 more (this is nothing in fountain pens, yes I know that it’s like 8 college ramen means, no I’m not trying to be disrespectful). It also looks like you’re the senior director at an engineering firm when you carry it so you’ll be able to exit college and keep using this without anyone batting an eye (and if they do it will be because you’re writing with an expensive looking pen in an entry level job). I’d say keep this at your desk Purchase link
- TWSBI ECO/ECO GO - This is the quirked up answer to the question. The “skip over the entry level experience straight to the premium experience, but still use entry level materials” solution to the problem. While these pens feel cheap (particularly the go) they offer much of what you would look for in a $150 pen. Truly excellent writing instruments. Not particularly durable, but for your desk and friday pen they should be fine. Less stuffy than the metro too so if the idea of looking like someone’s manager makes you uncomfortable, this might be a more comfortable pick to be seen using. I don’t know you or your life. These are great pens though. ECO / GO
A humble request
Please do not purchase from Goulet Pens. They fund the far right in Virginia. I used to advocate buying from them because they were local business to me, but they around 2019 started getting chummy with a very cult-y anti LGBTQIA+ church and the money you spend with them now makes it harder for me to to organize my efforts to keep my valley safe, the very same valley the owners at one time called home.
Gel Pens
This is where I think you should live for your primary notemaking instrument if you take your notes in pen. They offer a lot of the same advantages of fountain pens in terms of ink longevity without filling landfills with plastic waste (though they do a little bit thanks to the refill bodies, but it’s still less than a disposable bic style ballpoint) while being able to write on a wider selection of surfaces, not needing any form of maintenance, and you won’t really be heart broken if you lose one. Unlike with fountain pens where I have a few different recommendations depending on the experience you want, for gel pens I think (at least for me) there’s a clear best gel pen, and it’s the Uni Signo. It kind of doesn’t matter which one, they’re all great. Personally I prefer the retractable designs because a detachable cap is just something to get lost, though this is a very personal choice since you might see a retraction mechanism as just something to get jammed or broken. Here’s a retractable, Here’s a bulk purchase of capped ones to help you with your attrition rates. There is merit to either purchase.
I would be remiss though if I didn’t take a moment to mention the current most popular gel pen amongst the people I talk to: the Uni One. It’s like the Signo series but the ink is a little more saturated by using larger pigment particles to more completely cover the paper. Personally I don’t like the fact that they run out of ink faster to achieve their higher color saturation and don’t find the higher color saturation to be that valuable. But if you just read all that and said “yes please” here’s a purchase link
Oh! And I need to mention the best gel pen you can buy at the store. The Sharpie S Gel. No purchasing link. The point is you’ll see it at the store. These don’t write quite like other gel pens, and a lot of gel pen enthusiasts hate these things. But do you know who loves these? Every day people who need to make quite notes in high pressure situations and not have to care what happens to them. They’re basically the only pens you see medical professionals carry anymore. They’re a writing experience not quite like any other (though actually they remind me of Sharpie’s liquid pencil that they gave up on too soon). Give them a try.
Oh and I guess I should also mention the Pilot FriXion. These are erasable. I personally don’t like them. But they’re unique enough and useful enough that they should be mentioned. I’m not linking this either. But that’s out of laziness. Sorry.
Ballpoint
Look. I hate writing with ballpoints, even the good ones, however, for certain uses, they’re the best option there is. For example: I write checks. I know I know, I’m an ancient dinosaur who still roams the earth. But a good ballpoint is more equipped to write on more surfaces than a gel pen, or certainly a fountain pen, and can be nearly as resistant to fraud as the best gel pens and fountain pen inks, and will outperform most fountain pen and gel pen inks even if it’s not a good ballpoint ink formulation. You should just own a ballpoint to be ready for the kinds of things ballpoints do better than other pens. Like say you do something irresponsible because you’re still in school and all your bones still heal, and now you’re at the hospital and you need to sign some papers and you just HAPPEN to still have your good ballpoint on you instead of using the hospital ballpoint. Congratulations! You’re a little more resilient to fraud today than your classmates. You’re also a little bit of a prepper. That’s fine though. Everyone is a little bit of a prepper. It’s just that people who self identify as preppers are usually prepping wrong.
Anyway.
The ultimate question you’ll need to answer with your ballpoint purchase is “Pressurized… or no?” Pressurized inks will write on more surfaces and will be harder to lift via normal ink washing means, thus making them the ultimate ballpoint pen for doing ballpoint pen things. They also suck worse to write with than a normal ballpoint by way of being Maximum Ballpoint. If you don’t get a pressurized pen, you’ll probably want to get what’s called a “low viscosity ink” ballpoint. This is a ballpoint pen that offers you all of the same advantages of a ballpoint pen while writing more like a gel pen. They’re the least suck writing experience you can get with a ballpoint. These day basically every pen manufacturer offers some manner of low viscosity ink ballpoint. Having written with them I’d describe them all as “yeah, pretty good”
-
They should sell strap pads if they don’t already. I think that would be a good idea and I’d buy a pack for my bag. I’d love to be able to use mine more, but the thin straps with zero padding really isn’t the most comfortable design.
They do sell strap pads now! I have a 17" for travel and a 15" that did duty as a diaper bag/daypack. Got pads for both and it’s been such an improvement. They used to be uncomfortable to wear for long stretches, but now I can wear them much more comfortable on long travel days/hikes. They are well made, I expect them to last a long time and be patchable. My kiddo is starting kindergarten in a couple months and we’ll start with the mini pack that’s been the daycare/preschool bag - though last I checked the one-size strap pads that were available didn’t fit that size bag.
-
Drop your recommendations for the following
- Pens (ballpoint, gel, fountain)
- metal ruler
- water bottle
- backpack
- pe bag (duffel or drawstring)
- Scissors
- Keyboard and mouse
- Laptop
- lunch box
- wallet
- lever arch folders
- sharpener
- power bank
Thanks
Logitech K780 keyboard.
-
I am hitting Lemmy character limits so… this is Pt 1 I guess
Pt 1
Disclaimer
These are all recommendations from one particular internet weirdo. This is not the gospel truth. You should not take anything I say as final and should compare what I’m saying against what you’re seeing other places. These are largely opinions I’ve developed over the course of many years living with an ADHD brain. I have, where I can (and where I remembered) included links to product purchase pages. These are not affiliate links. I just thought it would be easier to make decisions if you could actually see the things in an online storefront.
Further Disclaimer
I’m assuming from the set of items requested that the list is for a college aged student making moves towards living independently. I will be making some recommendations based on this foundation.
Final Disclaimer
If I skip a requested category it is not because I disagree with the asking, it is because I have no opinion on the subject matter and cannot provide valuable input.
Writing Utensils
Pens
Generally speaking, you want to ignore all of the hype fountain pens receive for being BIFL because your primary attrition mechanism on campus will be loss. It won’t be until you leave college and enter the work force and have a first place (home), second place (work), and if you’re lucky third place (bar, library, park) that you’ll truly be able to trust that you’ll know where to find lost writing utensils. It is true that fountain pens can have a lower environmental impact thanks to near infinite re-usability and water based ink, however they have a higher initial manufacture cost that completely obliterates your good intentions if you never see your pen again. Having several different places you make notes, study, and just generally write things down is incompatible with this form of writing device. If you do decide to get a fountain pen, anyway, treat it as a desk pen except for on particular occasions. Maybe you’ll have like fountain pen fridays where you bring it with you. IDK. But keep that thang at in your room, not on you, and make sure you trust your roommate, okay?
Fountain Pens
Fine. I couldn’t talk you out of a fountain pen. Okay. It’s whatever. I don’t mind. Here are my recs:
- Platinum Preppy - While this pen is at first glance designed to be disposible, you can refill them for as long as you want, and it contains the same nib section as their $50 pens. If you get the EF you will be hard pressed to find a finer writer for less than $70. This is an EXCELLENT value pen. At $8 you will hardly be heartbroken if you lose it because you took it with you everywhere because you thought my advice was hokum Purchase link
- Pilot Metropolitan - How time has passed this pen by. 10 years ago this was the most incredible deal anyone could imagine. Now it’s $20 more expensive and instead of feeling like a steal it just feels like “Yeah you pay a little more for a little higher quality pen. IDK what to tell you.” This is the TRUE BIFL choice in this proprietary cartridge/converter space. What the Preppy lacks in feeling like it can survive to your deathbed thanks to its plastic construction, the Metro gives you one of the most durable constructions in fountain pens at the cost of a paltry $25 more (this is nothing in fountain pens, yes I know that it’s like 8 college ramen means, no I’m not trying to be disrespectful). It also looks like you’re the senior director at an engineering firm when you carry it so you’ll be able to exit college and keep using this without anyone batting an eye (and if they do it will be because you’re writing with an expensive looking pen in an entry level job). I’d say keep this at your desk Purchase link
- TWSBI ECO/ECO GO - This is the quirked up answer to the question. The “skip over the entry level experience straight to the premium experience, but still use entry level materials” solution to the problem. While these pens feel cheap (particularly the go) they offer much of what you would look for in a $150 pen. Truly excellent writing instruments. Not particularly durable, but for your desk and friday pen they should be fine. Less stuffy than the metro too so if the idea of looking like someone’s manager makes you uncomfortable, this might be a more comfortable pick to be seen using. I don’t know you or your life. These are great pens though. ECO / GO
A humble request
Please do not purchase from Goulet Pens. They fund the far right in Virginia. I used to advocate buying from them because they were local business to me, but they around 2019 started getting chummy with a very cult-y anti LGBTQIA+ church and the money you spend with them now makes it harder for me to to organize my efforts to keep my valley safe, the very same valley the owners at one time called home.
Gel Pens
This is where I think you should live for your primary notemaking instrument if you take your notes in pen. They offer a lot of the same advantages of fountain pens in terms of ink longevity without filling landfills with plastic waste (though they do a little bit thanks to the refill bodies, but it’s still less than a disposable bic style ballpoint) while being able to write on a wider selection of surfaces, not needing any form of maintenance, and you won’t really be heart broken if you lose one. Unlike with fountain pens where I have a few different recommendations depending on the experience you want, for gel pens I think (at least for me) there’s a clear best gel pen, and it’s the Uni Signo. It kind of doesn’t matter which one, they’re all great. Personally I prefer the retractable designs because a detachable cap is just something to get lost, though this is a very personal choice since you might see a retraction mechanism as just something to get jammed or broken. Here’s a retractable, Here’s a bulk purchase of capped ones to help you with your attrition rates. There is merit to either purchase.
I would be remiss though if I didn’t take a moment to mention the current most popular gel pen amongst the people I talk to: the Uni One. It’s like the Signo series but the ink is a little more saturated by using larger pigment particles to more completely cover the paper. Personally I don’t like the fact that they run out of ink faster to achieve their higher color saturation and don’t find the higher color saturation to be that valuable. But if you just read all that and said “yes please” here’s a purchase link
Oh! And I need to mention the best gel pen you can buy at the store. The Sharpie S Gel. No purchasing link. The point is you’ll see it at the store. These don’t write quite like other gel pens, and a lot of gel pen enthusiasts hate these things. But do you know who loves these? Every day people who need to make quite notes in high pressure situations and not have to care what happens to them. They’re basically the only pens you see medical professionals carry anymore. They’re a writing experience not quite like any other (though actually they remind me of Sharpie’s liquid pencil that they gave up on too soon). Give them a try.
Oh and I guess I should also mention the Pilot FriXion. These are erasable. I personally don’t like them. But they’re unique enough and useful enough that they should be mentioned. I’m not linking this either. But that’s out of laziness. Sorry.
Ballpoint
Look. I hate writing with ballpoints, even the good ones, however, for certain uses, they’re the best option there is. For example: I write checks. I know I know, I’m an ancient dinosaur who still roams the earth. But a good ballpoint is more equipped to write on more surfaces than a gel pen, or certainly a fountain pen, and can be nearly as resistant to fraud as the best gel pens and fountain pen inks, and will outperform most fountain pen and gel pen inks even if it’s not a good ballpoint ink formulation. You should just own a ballpoint to be ready for the kinds of things ballpoints do better than other pens. Like say you do something irresponsible because you’re still in school and all your bones still heal, and now you’re at the hospital and you need to sign some papers and you just HAPPEN to still have your good ballpoint on you instead of using the hospital ballpoint. Congratulations! You’re a little more resilient to fraud today than your classmates. You’re also a little bit of a prepper. That’s fine though. Everyone is a little bit of a prepper. It’s just that people who self identify as preppers are usually prepping wrong.
Anyway.
The ultimate question you’ll need to answer with your ballpoint purchase is “Pressurized… or no?” Pressurized inks will write on more surfaces and will be harder to lift via normal ink washing means, thus making them the ultimate ballpoint pen for doing ballpoint pen things. They also suck worse to write with than a normal ballpoint by way of being Maximum Ballpoint. If you don’t get a pressurized pen, you’ll probably want to get what’s called a “low viscosity ink” ballpoint. This is a ballpoint pen that offers you all of the same advantages of a ballpoint pen while writing more like a gel pen. They’re the least suck writing experience you can get with a ballpoint. These day basically every pen manufacturer offers some manner of low viscosity ink ballpoint. Having written with them I’d describe them all as “yeah, pretty good”
Hey this is a great write up. Have you gotten diagnosed yet? Just checking in.
EDIT: My bad, you mention it relatively early on. I honestly skimmed what you wrote looking for details and missed that part. Ignore me, carry on!
-
I am hitting Lemmy character limits so… this is Pt 1 I guess
Pt 1
Disclaimer
These are all recommendations from one particular internet weirdo. This is not the gospel truth. You should not take anything I say as final and should compare what I’m saying against what you’re seeing other places. These are largely opinions I’ve developed over the course of many years living with an ADHD brain. I have, where I can (and where I remembered) included links to product purchase pages. These are not affiliate links. I just thought it would be easier to make decisions if you could actually see the things in an online storefront.
Further Disclaimer
I’m assuming from the set of items requested that the list is for a college aged student making moves towards living independently. I will be making some recommendations based on this foundation.
Final Disclaimer
If I skip a requested category it is not because I disagree with the asking, it is because I have no opinion on the subject matter and cannot provide valuable input.
Writing Utensils
Pens
Generally speaking, you want to ignore all of the hype fountain pens receive for being BIFL because your primary attrition mechanism on campus will be loss. It won’t be until you leave college and enter the work force and have a first place (home), second place (work), and if you’re lucky third place (bar, library, park) that you’ll truly be able to trust that you’ll know where to find lost writing utensils. It is true that fountain pens can have a lower environmental impact thanks to near infinite re-usability and water based ink, however they have a higher initial manufacture cost that completely obliterates your good intentions if you never see your pen again. Having several different places you make notes, study, and just generally write things down is incompatible with this form of writing device. If you do decide to get a fountain pen, anyway, treat it as a desk pen except for on particular occasions. Maybe you’ll have like fountain pen fridays where you bring it with you. IDK. But keep that thang at in your room, not on you, and make sure you trust your roommate, okay?
Fountain Pens
Fine. I couldn’t talk you out of a fountain pen. Okay. It’s whatever. I don’t mind. Here are my recs:
- Platinum Preppy - While this pen is at first glance designed to be disposible, you can refill them for as long as you want, and it contains the same nib section as their $50 pens. If you get the EF you will be hard pressed to find a finer writer for less than $70. This is an EXCELLENT value pen. At $8 you will hardly be heartbroken if you lose it because you took it with you everywhere because you thought my advice was hokum Purchase link
- Pilot Metropolitan - How time has passed this pen by. 10 years ago this was the most incredible deal anyone could imagine. Now it’s $20 more expensive and instead of feeling like a steal it just feels like “Yeah you pay a little more for a little higher quality pen. IDK what to tell you.” This is the TRUE BIFL choice in this proprietary cartridge/converter space. What the Preppy lacks in feeling like it can survive to your deathbed thanks to its plastic construction, the Metro gives you one of the most durable constructions in fountain pens at the cost of a paltry $25 more (this is nothing in fountain pens, yes I know that it’s like 8 college ramen means, no I’m not trying to be disrespectful). It also looks like you’re the senior director at an engineering firm when you carry it so you’ll be able to exit college and keep using this without anyone batting an eye (and if they do it will be because you’re writing with an expensive looking pen in an entry level job). I’d say keep this at your desk Purchase link
- TWSBI ECO/ECO GO - This is the quirked up answer to the question. The “skip over the entry level experience straight to the premium experience, but still use entry level materials” solution to the problem. While these pens feel cheap (particularly the go) they offer much of what you would look for in a $150 pen. Truly excellent writing instruments. Not particularly durable, but for your desk and friday pen they should be fine. Less stuffy than the metro too so if the idea of looking like someone’s manager makes you uncomfortable, this might be a more comfortable pick to be seen using. I don’t know you or your life. These are great pens though. ECO / GO
A humble request
Please do not purchase from Goulet Pens. They fund the far right in Virginia. I used to advocate buying from them because they were local business to me, but they around 2019 started getting chummy with a very cult-y anti LGBTQIA+ church and the money you spend with them now makes it harder for me to to organize my efforts to keep my valley safe, the very same valley the owners at one time called home.
Gel Pens
This is where I think you should live for your primary notemaking instrument if you take your notes in pen. They offer a lot of the same advantages of fountain pens in terms of ink longevity without filling landfills with plastic waste (though they do a little bit thanks to the refill bodies, but it’s still less than a disposable bic style ballpoint) while being able to write on a wider selection of surfaces, not needing any form of maintenance, and you won’t really be heart broken if you lose one. Unlike with fountain pens where I have a few different recommendations depending on the experience you want, for gel pens I think (at least for me) there’s a clear best gel pen, and it’s the Uni Signo. It kind of doesn’t matter which one, they’re all great. Personally I prefer the retractable designs because a detachable cap is just something to get lost, though this is a very personal choice since you might see a retraction mechanism as just something to get jammed or broken. Here’s a retractable, Here’s a bulk purchase of capped ones to help you with your attrition rates. There is merit to either purchase.
I would be remiss though if I didn’t take a moment to mention the current most popular gel pen amongst the people I talk to: the Uni One. It’s like the Signo series but the ink is a little more saturated by using larger pigment particles to more completely cover the paper. Personally I don’t like the fact that they run out of ink faster to achieve their higher color saturation and don’t find the higher color saturation to be that valuable. But if you just read all that and said “yes please” here’s a purchase link
Oh! And I need to mention the best gel pen you can buy at the store. The Sharpie S Gel. No purchasing link. The point is you’ll see it at the store. These don’t write quite like other gel pens, and a lot of gel pen enthusiasts hate these things. But do you know who loves these? Every day people who need to make quite notes in high pressure situations and not have to care what happens to them. They’re basically the only pens you see medical professionals carry anymore. They’re a writing experience not quite like any other (though actually they remind me of Sharpie’s liquid pencil that they gave up on too soon). Give them a try.
Oh and I guess I should also mention the Pilot FriXion. These are erasable. I personally don’t like them. But they’re unique enough and useful enough that they should be mentioned. I’m not linking this either. But that’s out of laziness. Sorry.
Ballpoint
Look. I hate writing with ballpoints, even the good ones, however, for certain uses, they’re the best option there is. For example: I write checks. I know I know, I’m an ancient dinosaur who still roams the earth. But a good ballpoint is more equipped to write on more surfaces than a gel pen, or certainly a fountain pen, and can be nearly as resistant to fraud as the best gel pens and fountain pen inks, and will outperform most fountain pen and gel pen inks even if it’s not a good ballpoint ink formulation. You should just own a ballpoint to be ready for the kinds of things ballpoints do better than other pens. Like say you do something irresponsible because you’re still in school and all your bones still heal, and now you’re at the hospital and you need to sign some papers and you just HAPPEN to still have your good ballpoint on you instead of using the hospital ballpoint. Congratulations! You’re a little more resilient to fraud today than your classmates. You’re also a little bit of a prepper. That’s fine though. Everyone is a little bit of a prepper. It’s just that people who self identify as preppers are usually prepping wrong.
Anyway.
The ultimate question you’ll need to answer with your ballpoint purchase is “Pressurized… or no?” Pressurized inks will write on more surfaces and will be harder to lift via normal ink washing means, thus making them the ultimate ballpoint pen for doing ballpoint pen things. They also suck worse to write with than a normal ballpoint by way of being Maximum Ballpoint. If you don’t get a pressurized pen, you’ll probably want to get what’s called a “low viscosity ink” ballpoint. This is a ballpoint pen that offers you all of the same advantages of a ballpoint pen while writing more like a gel pen. They’re the least suck writing experience you can get with a ballpoint. These day basically every pen manufacturer offers some manner of low viscosity ink ballpoint. Having written with them I’d describe them all as “yeah, pretty good”
Pt 2
Ballpoints (Continued)
I’m gonna assume you were able to make a choice from my outlining of the difference between pressurized and low viscosity inks, so here’s some options:
- (Pressurized) Uni Tank - This is the cheapest pressurized ink pen you can get. Don’t let that fool you though, it’s just as good as any other, if not better. The only downside I really think this has is that it’s not a mini/pocket pen but… Franky who cares. Purchase link
- (Low Viscosity) Pentel Floatune - This is the johnny come lately of the low viscosity ink ballpoints. I can go into the history of this, but generally speaking any time there’s a big innovation in the writing world, Pentel is the last to arrive on the market with their version, but their version is usually quick to find adoring fans who claim that it’s the best version. This is one of those cases. Purchase link
Pencils
In the world of pencils the question you really have to ask yourself is “to gimmick… Or not to gimmick?” A lot of companies have been innovating how to make a better writing experience at the cost of making their products in some way weird, or more mechanically complex. You will have to decide if you’re willing to do something a little odd, or if you just want the old reliable choice. I won’t be recommending any gimmicks that in my experience have hindered the longevity of a product since this is a BIFL space, but I’ll also be recommending ungimmicked options.
Mechanical
Terminology:
- knock: advancing the lead
- sleeve: the tube at the end of the pencil that guides the lead to the paper
Gimmicky
Auto knocking
These (hypothetically) will let you take notes continuously without having to think about advancing the lead in your pencil. I only actually know of one that’s truly worth recommending since my recommendation for writing utensils while you’re still in school is to avoid anything you’d be sad to lose, and one of the options under $10 has reliability issues. It’s the Pilot Airstep. Purchase link
Rotating lead
Some of you crazy enough to read through this already know what pencil I’m about to recommend and some of you can’t believe I’m bringing it up, and some of the rest of you can’t believe I didn’t bring it up first. This is my personal favorite pencil. I write in cursive so the rotating lead really works for me, but a lot of people see this as pointless gimmicky bullshit. I won’t tell you how to feel about it, but the pencil I’m talking about is the Uni Kuru Toga purchase link
(a note. I’ve linked one with a retractable sleeve. the sleeve is the failure point of these models so it’s best to keep it from catching on stuff)
Non-gimmicky
Any pentel drafting pencil. Sharp. Graphgear. Doesn’t matter. They’re all bombproof and great. No purchase link since this is a brand category instead of a single product.
Wooden
Gimmicky
Wooden pencil gimmicks come in two categories:
- Ergonomic shapes
- Blackwing
Ergonomic shapes feels pretty self explanatory. Blackwing is a brand. They have aromatic wood casings and replaceable erasers. They’re good pencils. I just don’t think they warrant the price that’s requested of them. But sometimes they’re just the only quality wood case pencil a store carries so you end up buying them. IDK what to say beyond that.
For an ergonomic pencil, I like Faber-Castell purchase link
Non-Gimmicky
The challenge here is getting something with the graphite centered in the casing. I kind of don’t care about aromatic casings and stuff. I just want a graphite core that writes well, isn’t prone to breakage due to manufacturing faults, and is properly centered in the casing. That is shockingly hard to find these days as we experience the total enshittification of absolutely everything. The only pencil I know to trust to consistently do all of this at a good value is the Uni Mitsubishi 9850. You can buy them individually on JetPens but I prefer buying them by the case. If you live in the US the only place to buy them by the case is Amazon. We truly live in a nightmare.
If you want the best pencils you can get at the store I think those are probably Ticonderogas still, but their quality has gone to shit in the past 10 years. It’s just that the quality of everything else in the store has also gone to shit and so Ticonderogas are less shit.
Sharpeners
Gimmicky
I love a ratcheting pencil sharpener. It’s just easier on my shitty tech worker wrists. Purchase link
Non-gimmicky
KISS. Just look for something that’s made to quality. You probably want a metal enclosure and a replaceable blade. Here’s something I’ve found good
A note about all this before we move on.
Literally all my links so far were to JetPens. I originally had hoped to spread the link love around a little bit more since I don’t like buying all products from just one store. But JetPens was the only place I could find all the stationery stuff that wasn’t Amazon. So here we are. This is not strictly speaking an endorsement of JetPens but they’re okay. It’s a soft endorsement I guess. Anyway. On to water bottles
Water Bottles
The biggest thing here is to ignore trends. Determine your preferences and ignore whatever everyone else is doing. It doesn’t actually matter. All the water bottle brands are great. If you already have a water bottle, just stick to it. If you’re looking to buy a new water bottle because you don’t have one, bear in mind that Water Bottles are weirdly prone to trends. 5 years ago everyone wanted a Hydroflask. Then they all wanted a stanley. Now they all want an Owala. Before Hydroflask everyone wanted Yeti, and before that it was S’well. Did each of these brands surpass the previous hypebeast brand to become the cultural favorite? No. Not really. Social media bubbles just encourage these fads faster than before everyone was getting their purchasing advice from influencers. The only brand I actually factually recommend against is Yeti (if you already own a yeti, keep it, it’s fine). Their ownership group has some… Ungreat political views on the world, and I would prefer not to give them money. Along those lines I recommend Klean Kanteen. They’re the only B corp in this space (meaning that they actually had to prove they do social good rather than just claiming it like Hydroflask does) and have very excellent performance scores in terms of thermal retention, durability, and rebuildability (their seals are standard o-rings you can get at the hardware store). Purchase link
The other thing to consider is that maybe you don’t like the flavor stainless steel imparts on water when you drink it. That’s fine. I get it. Here’s a purchase link for a glass water bottle. I don’t really buy into all the hype that glass water bottles are healthier for you than stainless steel ones buy like… I’m also a big dumb idiot so don’t listen to me.
And now for my most controversial opinion! Nalgenes are fine! They’re certainly the most versatile. And they’re definitely the play if you’re hoping to communicate that you are in community with Queer people (along with sandals. You’ll need to wear sandals to complete the message). Purchase link DISCLAIMER!!! DISCLAIMER!!! DISCLAIMER!!! I do benefit when you purchase this bottle. This is not a promotional link. However the Appalachia Water Project does donate water to the Helene Relief project that I work with bringing water to McDowell County, West Virginia where the residents have not had clean drinking water in 2 years. I would frankly rather you send $10 to POWHR or one of the Southern Alliance Mutual Aid projects, but shit, I’ll take your bullshit charity money too (even though as an Appalachian I’m deeply distrustful of charity models). We’re fucking desperate out here and if all the help I can get is a side benefit of a tax write off for a water bottle company donating to a charity in Los Angeles that doesn’t contribute to resolving the root problem but still helps us allieviate the accute crisis, I’ll take it. But I will judge you. Harshly! Fuck! Contribute to mutual aid, goddammit!
Anyway.
Backpack
This is going to be another controversial pick. Any backpack that isn’t the cheapest shit from Walmart can be a BIFL choice if your lifestyle continues to match that backpack. Fjallraven is nicely versatile by offering vintage styled hiking packs. Here’s a purchase link DISCLAIMER!!! DISCLAIMER!!! DISCLAIMER!!! I chose Backcountry.com as my purchase link source for a backpack because they have local operations to here and that helps us fund the post-Helene economic recovery. I want to make abundantly clear that even less than I trust the charity model of Appalachia Water Project, I trust capitalism. But I’m also a dirty little slut who will do anything to help my neighbors survive the hellscape we’ve been subjectect to and sometimes that means acknowledging that under capitalism all of us our whores. Just as it was when this town was a mining camp and the most profitable profession was prostitution, I’m not too good to play the game of capital
-
Pt 2
Ballpoints (Continued)
I’m gonna assume you were able to make a choice from my outlining of the difference between pressurized and low viscosity inks, so here’s some options:
- (Pressurized) Uni Tank - This is the cheapest pressurized ink pen you can get. Don’t let that fool you though, it’s just as good as any other, if not better. The only downside I really think this has is that it’s not a mini/pocket pen but… Franky who cares. Purchase link
- (Low Viscosity) Pentel Floatune - This is the johnny come lately of the low viscosity ink ballpoints. I can go into the history of this, but generally speaking any time there’s a big innovation in the writing world, Pentel is the last to arrive on the market with their version, but their version is usually quick to find adoring fans who claim that it’s the best version. This is one of those cases. Purchase link
Pencils
In the world of pencils the question you really have to ask yourself is “to gimmick… Or not to gimmick?” A lot of companies have been innovating how to make a better writing experience at the cost of making their products in some way weird, or more mechanically complex. You will have to decide if you’re willing to do something a little odd, or if you just want the old reliable choice. I won’t be recommending any gimmicks that in my experience have hindered the longevity of a product since this is a BIFL space, but I’ll also be recommending ungimmicked options.
Mechanical
Terminology:
- knock: advancing the lead
- sleeve: the tube at the end of the pencil that guides the lead to the paper
Gimmicky
Auto knocking
These (hypothetically) will let you take notes continuously without having to think about advancing the lead in your pencil. I only actually know of one that’s truly worth recommending since my recommendation for writing utensils while you’re still in school is to avoid anything you’d be sad to lose, and one of the options under $10 has reliability issues. It’s the Pilot Airstep. Purchase link
Rotating lead
Some of you crazy enough to read through this already know what pencil I’m about to recommend and some of you can’t believe I’m bringing it up, and some of the rest of you can’t believe I didn’t bring it up first. This is my personal favorite pencil. I write in cursive so the rotating lead really works for me, but a lot of people see this as pointless gimmicky bullshit. I won’t tell you how to feel about it, but the pencil I’m talking about is the Uni Kuru Toga purchase link
(a note. I’ve linked one with a retractable sleeve. the sleeve is the failure point of these models so it’s best to keep it from catching on stuff)
Non-gimmicky
Any pentel drafting pencil. Sharp. Graphgear. Doesn’t matter. They’re all bombproof and great. No purchase link since this is a brand category instead of a single product.
Wooden
Gimmicky
Wooden pencil gimmicks come in two categories:
- Ergonomic shapes
- Blackwing
Ergonomic shapes feels pretty self explanatory. Blackwing is a brand. They have aromatic wood casings and replaceable erasers. They’re good pencils. I just don’t think they warrant the price that’s requested of them. But sometimes they’re just the only quality wood case pencil a store carries so you end up buying them. IDK what to say beyond that.
For an ergonomic pencil, I like Faber-Castell purchase link
Non-Gimmicky
The challenge here is getting something with the graphite centered in the casing. I kind of don’t care about aromatic casings and stuff. I just want a graphite core that writes well, isn’t prone to breakage due to manufacturing faults, and is properly centered in the casing. That is shockingly hard to find these days as we experience the total enshittification of absolutely everything. The only pencil I know to trust to consistently do all of this at a good value is the Uni Mitsubishi 9850. You can buy them individually on JetPens but I prefer buying them by the case. If you live in the US the only place to buy them by the case is Amazon. We truly live in a nightmare.
If you want the best pencils you can get at the store I think those are probably Ticonderogas still, but their quality has gone to shit in the past 10 years. It’s just that the quality of everything else in the store has also gone to shit and so Ticonderogas are less shit.
Sharpeners
Gimmicky
I love a ratcheting pencil sharpener. It’s just easier on my shitty tech worker wrists. Purchase link
Non-gimmicky
KISS. Just look for something that’s made to quality. You probably want a metal enclosure and a replaceable blade. Here’s something I’ve found good
A note about all this before we move on.
Literally all my links so far were to JetPens. I originally had hoped to spread the link love around a little bit more since I don’t like buying all products from just one store. But JetPens was the only place I could find all the stationery stuff that wasn’t Amazon. So here we are. This is not strictly speaking an endorsement of JetPens but they’re okay. It’s a soft endorsement I guess. Anyway. On to water bottles
Water Bottles
The biggest thing here is to ignore trends. Determine your preferences and ignore whatever everyone else is doing. It doesn’t actually matter. All the water bottle brands are great. If you already have a water bottle, just stick to it. If you’re looking to buy a new water bottle because you don’t have one, bear in mind that Water Bottles are weirdly prone to trends. 5 years ago everyone wanted a Hydroflask. Then they all wanted a stanley. Now they all want an Owala. Before Hydroflask everyone wanted Yeti, and before that it was S’well. Did each of these brands surpass the previous hypebeast brand to become the cultural favorite? No. Not really. Social media bubbles just encourage these fads faster than before everyone was getting their purchasing advice from influencers. The only brand I actually factually recommend against is Yeti (if you already own a yeti, keep it, it’s fine). Their ownership group has some… Ungreat political views on the world, and I would prefer not to give them money. Along those lines I recommend Klean Kanteen. They’re the only B corp in this space (meaning that they actually had to prove they do social good rather than just claiming it like Hydroflask does) and have very excellent performance scores in terms of thermal retention, durability, and rebuildability (their seals are standard o-rings you can get at the hardware store). Purchase link
The other thing to consider is that maybe you don’t like the flavor stainless steel imparts on water when you drink it. That’s fine. I get it. Here’s a purchase link for a glass water bottle. I don’t really buy into all the hype that glass water bottles are healthier for you than stainless steel ones buy like… I’m also a big dumb idiot so don’t listen to me.
And now for my most controversial opinion! Nalgenes are fine! They’re certainly the most versatile. And they’re definitely the play if you’re hoping to communicate that you are in community with Queer people (along with sandals. You’ll need to wear sandals to complete the message). Purchase link DISCLAIMER!!! DISCLAIMER!!! DISCLAIMER!!! I do benefit when you purchase this bottle. This is not a promotional link. However the Appalachia Water Project does donate water to the Helene Relief project that I work with bringing water to McDowell County, West Virginia where the residents have not had clean drinking water in 2 years. I would frankly rather you send $10 to POWHR or one of the Southern Alliance Mutual Aid projects, but shit, I’ll take your bullshit charity money too (even though as an Appalachian I’m deeply distrustful of charity models). We’re fucking desperate out here and if all the help I can get is a side benefit of a tax write off for a water bottle company donating to a charity in Los Angeles that doesn’t contribute to resolving the root problem but still helps us allieviate the accute crisis, I’ll take it. But I will judge you. Harshly! Fuck! Contribute to mutual aid, goddammit!
Anyway.
Backpack
This is going to be another controversial pick. Any backpack that isn’t the cheapest shit from Walmart can be a BIFL choice if your lifestyle continues to match that backpack. Fjallraven is nicely versatile by offering vintage styled hiking packs. Here’s a purchase link DISCLAIMER!!! DISCLAIMER!!! DISCLAIMER!!! I chose Backcountry.com as my purchase link source for a backpack because they have local operations to here and that helps us fund the post-Helene economic recovery. I want to make abundantly clear that even less than I trust the charity model of Appalachia Water Project, I trust capitalism. But I’m also a dirty little slut who will do anything to help my neighbors survive the hellscape we’ve been subjectect to and sometimes that means acknowledging that under capitalism all of us our whores. Just as it was when this town was a mining camp and the most profitable profession was prostitution, I’m not too good to play the game of capital
Pt 3
Backpack (Cont’d)
Okay. Jeez. Don’t know what came over me. If you want a slightly more versatile, less stylish pack, go with Osprey maybe? I tend not to like them because the wires in the straps cut into my shoulders. But lots of people are happy with them here’s a purchasing link DISCLAIMER!!! DISCLAIMER!!! DISCLAIMER!!! Still a backcountry link
Drawstring bag
I’m not going to get into duffelbags. They’re just not my style. Look to other people for this advice. The key I’ve found with a stringer bag is that the simpler the bag is the more durable it will be. Here’s a purchase link. Just don’t get anything fancy and you should be fine.
Computer Peripherals
Keyboard
Okay. So this is going to be a place where almost any mechanical keyboard is going to offer you more longevity than you can actually measure. You can still get more longevity with MX style switches than low profile switches, however low profile switches offer certain ergonomic advantages. My advice? Get something with hot swappable switches. Everything else is a matter of taste, not of BIFL consideration. No purchasing link, this ocean is too vast
Mouse
This is an interesting question! There are two directions you can go. One is to get high quality switches from a factory mouse with Zowie that will last a long time. The other is to get a serviceable (as in repairable) mouse from Ploopy. I prefer going to Ploopy route, but it’s ultimately up to what you want in a Human Input Device experience. FWIW the owner of Ploopy firmly believes in de-growth economic principals. Here’s just ploopy’s whole ass website see what you like!
Wallet
The classic BIFL consideration! Personally, I’m of the opinion that any hardsided wallet is a gimmick. They’re not comfortable to carry and the advantages they offer are minimal. The ones I’ve liked best are now out of business. I prefer upcycled to recycled or organic. Here’s an example. There’s also a US brand that upcycles firehoses. I forget their name. They have a tendency to partner with Chud influencers though but themselves have a tendency towards environmental stewardship. IDK. It seems… Like everyone should look into it themselves and figure out how to feel.
Powerbank
For this, I recommend getting something 18650 based. Here’s an example. The idea here is that 18650 are amongst the best bang for your bunk in terms of lithium ion rechargable batteries thanks to that they’re used in massive arrays to fuel electric cars. Basically when you buy an 18650, you’re buying a clearance product from a failed bid by Samsung, Panasonic, or LG to sell a batch of batteries cheaper than their competitors to Hyundai, BYD, or Tesla. It’s just the best value for you, the consumer, if you want to store electricity from now until later.
And that’s that!
Now I need to reflect on what it says about me that I’m such a longwinded asshole that I can reach Lemmy’s character limit twice
-
Drop your recommendations for the following
- Pens (ballpoint, gel, fountain)
- metal ruler
- water bottle
- backpack
- pe bag (duffel or drawstring)
- Scissors
- Keyboard and mouse
- Laptop
- lunch box
- wallet
- lever arch folders
- sharpener
- power bank
Thanks
The best pen for math notes is the cheapest ballpoint you can find at your grocerie store.
Gel smears too much and you’re going to be loaning pens to classmates so just keep a stack of cheap pens.
-
They do sell strap pads now! I have a 17" for travel and a 15" that did duty as a diaper bag/daypack. Got pads for both and it’s been such an improvement. They used to be uncomfortable to wear for long stretches, but now I can wear them much more comfortable on long travel days/hikes. They are well made, I expect them to last a long time and be patchable. My kiddo is starting kindergarten in a couple months and we’ll start with the mini pack that’s been the daycare/preschool bag - though last I checked the one-size strap pads that were available didn’t fit that size bag.
Great news! I’ll have to pick one up sometime soon then. Thanks for the info!
-
The best pen for math notes is the cheapest ballpoint you can find at your grocerie store.
Gel smears too much and you’re going to be loaning pens to classmates so just keep a stack of cheap pens.
Well, the only thing I would ever want to use for doing math is a mech pencil. It’s the only tolerable thing.
Although I occasionally use whatever I find laying around.
-
Well, the only thing I would ever want to use for doing math is a mech pencil. It’s the only tolerable thing.
Although I occasionally use whatever I find laying around.
Yea, honestly this pencil (and eventually a metal version of this) was like the BIFL of all my school supplies.
I’d get one, maybe a 2 pack, at most once a year. College, I had a metal version that lasted me all 4 years.
Give a kid one nice pencil or 2 pencils, and they won’t lose it. Give em an abundance and they’ll most definitely lose em.
-
Drop your recommendations for the following
- Pens (ballpoint, gel, fountain)
- metal ruler
- water bottle
- backpack
- pe bag (duffel or drawstring)
- Scissors
- Keyboard and mouse
- Laptop
- lunch box
- wallet
- lever arch folders
- sharpener
- power bank
Thanks
https://www.unibrands.co/products/jetstream-rt-ballpoint-pens?variant=39362274656462
Cheap. Refillable. Writes like a dream. My go to.
-
Pt 3
Backpack (Cont’d)
Okay. Jeez. Don’t know what came over me. If you want a slightly more versatile, less stylish pack, go with Osprey maybe? I tend not to like them because the wires in the straps cut into my shoulders. But lots of people are happy with them here’s a purchasing link DISCLAIMER!!! DISCLAIMER!!! DISCLAIMER!!! Still a backcountry link
Drawstring bag
I’m not going to get into duffelbags. They’re just not my style. Look to other people for this advice. The key I’ve found with a stringer bag is that the simpler the bag is the more durable it will be. Here’s a purchase link. Just don’t get anything fancy and you should be fine.
Computer Peripherals
Keyboard
Okay. So this is going to be a place where almost any mechanical keyboard is going to offer you more longevity than you can actually measure. You can still get more longevity with MX style switches than low profile switches, however low profile switches offer certain ergonomic advantages. My advice? Get something with hot swappable switches. Everything else is a matter of taste, not of BIFL consideration. No purchasing link, this ocean is too vast
Mouse
This is an interesting question! There are two directions you can go. One is to get high quality switches from a factory mouse with Zowie that will last a long time. The other is to get a serviceable (as in repairable) mouse from Ploopy. I prefer going to Ploopy route, but it’s ultimately up to what you want in a Human Input Device experience. FWIW the owner of Ploopy firmly believes in de-growth economic principals. Here’s just ploopy’s whole ass website see what you like!
Wallet
The classic BIFL consideration! Personally, I’m of the opinion that any hardsided wallet is a gimmick. They’re not comfortable to carry and the advantages they offer are minimal. The ones I’ve liked best are now out of business. I prefer upcycled to recycled or organic. Here’s an example. There’s also a US brand that upcycles firehoses. I forget their name. They have a tendency to partner with Chud influencers though but themselves have a tendency towards environmental stewardship. IDK. It seems… Like everyone should look into it themselves and figure out how to feel.
Powerbank
For this, I recommend getting something 18650 based. Here’s an example. The idea here is that 18650 are amongst the best bang for your bunk in terms of lithium ion rechargable batteries thanks to that they’re used in massive arrays to fuel electric cars. Basically when you buy an 18650, you’re buying a clearance product from a failed bid by Samsung, Panasonic, or LG to sell a batch of batteries cheaper than their competitors to Hyundai, BYD, or Tesla. It’s just the best value for you, the consumer, if you want to store electricity from now until later.
And that’s that!
Now I need to reflect on what it says about me that I’m such a longwinded asshole that I can reach Lemmy’s character limit twice
Wow what a response ! Thank you very much for all the time you spent and it will definitely be helpful
-
Pt 2
Ballpoints (Continued)
I’m gonna assume you were able to make a choice from my outlining of the difference between pressurized and low viscosity inks, so here’s some options:
- (Pressurized) Uni Tank - This is the cheapest pressurized ink pen you can get. Don’t let that fool you though, it’s just as good as any other, if not better. The only downside I really think this has is that it’s not a mini/pocket pen but… Franky who cares. Purchase link
- (Low Viscosity) Pentel Floatune - This is the johnny come lately of the low viscosity ink ballpoints. I can go into the history of this, but generally speaking any time there’s a big innovation in the writing world, Pentel is the last to arrive on the market with their version, but their version is usually quick to find adoring fans who claim that it’s the best version. This is one of those cases. Purchase link
Pencils
In the world of pencils the question you really have to ask yourself is “to gimmick… Or not to gimmick?” A lot of companies have been innovating how to make a better writing experience at the cost of making their products in some way weird, or more mechanically complex. You will have to decide if you’re willing to do something a little odd, or if you just want the old reliable choice. I won’t be recommending any gimmicks that in my experience have hindered the longevity of a product since this is a BIFL space, but I’ll also be recommending ungimmicked options.
Mechanical
Terminology:
- knock: advancing the lead
- sleeve: the tube at the end of the pencil that guides the lead to the paper
Gimmicky
Auto knocking
These (hypothetically) will let you take notes continuously without having to think about advancing the lead in your pencil. I only actually know of one that’s truly worth recommending since my recommendation for writing utensils while you’re still in school is to avoid anything you’d be sad to lose, and one of the options under $10 has reliability issues. It’s the Pilot Airstep. Purchase link
Rotating lead
Some of you crazy enough to read through this already know what pencil I’m about to recommend and some of you can’t believe I’m bringing it up, and some of the rest of you can’t believe I didn’t bring it up first. This is my personal favorite pencil. I write in cursive so the rotating lead really works for me, but a lot of people see this as pointless gimmicky bullshit. I won’t tell you how to feel about it, but the pencil I’m talking about is the Uni Kuru Toga purchase link
(a note. I’ve linked one with a retractable sleeve. the sleeve is the failure point of these models so it’s best to keep it from catching on stuff)
Non-gimmicky
Any pentel drafting pencil. Sharp. Graphgear. Doesn’t matter. They’re all bombproof and great. No purchase link since this is a brand category instead of a single product.
Wooden
Gimmicky
Wooden pencil gimmicks come in two categories:
- Ergonomic shapes
- Blackwing
Ergonomic shapes feels pretty self explanatory. Blackwing is a brand. They have aromatic wood casings and replaceable erasers. They’re good pencils. I just don’t think they warrant the price that’s requested of them. But sometimes they’re just the only quality wood case pencil a store carries so you end up buying them. IDK what to say beyond that.
For an ergonomic pencil, I like Faber-Castell purchase link
Non-Gimmicky
The challenge here is getting something with the graphite centered in the casing. I kind of don’t care about aromatic casings and stuff. I just want a graphite core that writes well, isn’t prone to breakage due to manufacturing faults, and is properly centered in the casing. That is shockingly hard to find these days as we experience the total enshittification of absolutely everything. The only pencil I know to trust to consistently do all of this at a good value is the Uni Mitsubishi 9850. You can buy them individually on JetPens but I prefer buying them by the case. If you live in the US the only place to buy them by the case is Amazon. We truly live in a nightmare.
If you want the best pencils you can get at the store I think those are probably Ticonderogas still, but their quality has gone to shit in the past 10 years. It’s just that the quality of everything else in the store has also gone to shit and so Ticonderogas are less shit.
Sharpeners
Gimmicky
I love a ratcheting pencil sharpener. It’s just easier on my shitty tech worker wrists. Purchase link
Non-gimmicky
KISS. Just look for something that’s made to quality. You probably want a metal enclosure and a replaceable blade. Here’s something I’ve found good
A note about all this before we move on.
Literally all my links so far were to JetPens. I originally had hoped to spread the link love around a little bit more since I don’t like buying all products from just one store. But JetPens was the only place I could find all the stationery stuff that wasn’t Amazon. So here we are. This is not strictly speaking an endorsement of JetPens but they’re okay. It’s a soft endorsement I guess. Anyway. On to water bottles
Water Bottles
The biggest thing here is to ignore trends. Determine your preferences and ignore whatever everyone else is doing. It doesn’t actually matter. All the water bottle brands are great. If you already have a water bottle, just stick to it. If you’re looking to buy a new water bottle because you don’t have one, bear in mind that Water Bottles are weirdly prone to trends. 5 years ago everyone wanted a Hydroflask. Then they all wanted a stanley. Now they all want an Owala. Before Hydroflask everyone wanted Yeti, and before that it was S’well. Did each of these brands surpass the previous hypebeast brand to become the cultural favorite? No. Not really. Social media bubbles just encourage these fads faster than before everyone was getting their purchasing advice from influencers. The only brand I actually factually recommend against is Yeti (if you already own a yeti, keep it, it’s fine). Their ownership group has some… Ungreat political views on the world, and I would prefer not to give them money. Along those lines I recommend Klean Kanteen. They’re the only B corp in this space (meaning that they actually had to prove they do social good rather than just claiming it like Hydroflask does) and have very excellent performance scores in terms of thermal retention, durability, and rebuildability (their seals are standard o-rings you can get at the hardware store). Purchase link
The other thing to consider is that maybe you don’t like the flavor stainless steel imparts on water when you drink it. That’s fine. I get it. Here’s a purchase link for a glass water bottle. I don’t really buy into all the hype that glass water bottles are healthier for you than stainless steel ones buy like… I’m also a big dumb idiot so don’t listen to me.
And now for my most controversial opinion! Nalgenes are fine! They’re certainly the most versatile. And they’re definitely the play if you’re hoping to communicate that you are in community with Queer people (along with sandals. You’ll need to wear sandals to complete the message). Purchase link DISCLAIMER!!! DISCLAIMER!!! DISCLAIMER!!! I do benefit when you purchase this bottle. This is not a promotional link. However the Appalachia Water Project does donate water to the Helene Relief project that I work with bringing water to McDowell County, West Virginia where the residents have not had clean drinking water in 2 years. I would frankly rather you send $10 to POWHR or one of the Southern Alliance Mutual Aid projects, but shit, I’ll take your bullshit charity money too (even though as an Appalachian I’m deeply distrustful of charity models). We’re fucking desperate out here and if all the help I can get is a side benefit of a tax write off for a water bottle company donating to a charity in Los Angeles that doesn’t contribute to resolving the root problem but still helps us allieviate the accute crisis, I’ll take it. But I will judge you. Harshly! Fuck! Contribute to mutual aid, goddammit!
Anyway.
Backpack
This is going to be another controversial pick. Any backpack that isn’t the cheapest shit from Walmart can be a BIFL choice if your lifestyle continues to match that backpack. Fjallraven is nicely versatile by offering vintage styled hiking packs. Here’s a purchase link DISCLAIMER!!! DISCLAIMER!!! DISCLAIMER!!! I chose Backcountry.com as my purchase link source for a backpack because they have local operations to here and that helps us fund the post-Helene economic recovery. I want to make abundantly clear that even less than I trust the charity model of Appalachia Water Project, I trust capitalism. But I’m also a dirty little slut who will do anything to help my neighbors survive the hellscape we’ve been subjectect to and sometimes that means acknowledging that under capitalism all of us our whores. Just as it was when this town was a mining camp and the most profitable profession was prostitution, I’m not too good to play the game of capital
I have a stash of pilot g2s , so truth be told I am not looking at the moment. Do these satisfy your requirements?
-
Drop your recommendations for the following
- Pens (ballpoint, gel, fountain)
- metal ruler
- water bottle
- backpack
- pe bag (duffel or drawstring)
- Scissors
- Keyboard and mouse
- Laptop
- lunch box
- wallet
- lever arch folders
- sharpener
- power bank
Thanks
this is the only gel pen i’ve ever been able to use as a lefty. refills are a standard size to they’ll work in lots of other pen bodies, in case you already have a favorite.
imo the best fountain pen for school is the preppy. snap-cap that’ll NEVER go dry, and they’re super easy to convert to eyedropper fill. i have one i still carry infrequently that i haven’t had to refill in literal years. the nib sizes swing a little closer to german than japanese sizes though, so expect fine to be more like a japanese medium. if you want a more durable clip, the prefounte is literally a dressed up preppy.
i seriously can’t recommend the preppy/prefounte enough. it’s the closest a fountain pen can get to replicating the convenience and reliability of a ballpoint IMO
e: jetpens might not be the best prices, i just happened to be there already lmao
-
I have a stash of pilot g2s , so truth be told I am not looking at the moment. Do these satisfy your requirements?
Use what you have! the g2 is a fine pen
-
Wow what a response ! Thank you very much for all the time you spent and it will definitely be helpful
oh! i forgot one thing. for a laptop look for a refurbished laptop with adequate memory. basically all laptops these days are planned ewaste so just try to get as much distance out of some reclaimed ewaste as you can
-
Pt 3
Backpack (Cont’d)
Okay. Jeez. Don’t know what came over me. If you want a slightly more versatile, less stylish pack, go with Osprey maybe? I tend not to like them because the wires in the straps cut into my shoulders. But lots of people are happy with them here’s a purchasing link DISCLAIMER!!! DISCLAIMER!!! DISCLAIMER!!! Still a backcountry link
Drawstring bag
I’m not going to get into duffelbags. They’re just not my style. Look to other people for this advice. The key I’ve found with a stringer bag is that the simpler the bag is the more durable it will be. Here’s a purchase link. Just don’t get anything fancy and you should be fine.
Computer Peripherals
Keyboard
Okay. So this is going to be a place where almost any mechanical keyboard is going to offer you more longevity than you can actually measure. You can still get more longevity with MX style switches than low profile switches, however low profile switches offer certain ergonomic advantages. My advice? Get something with hot swappable switches. Everything else is a matter of taste, not of BIFL consideration. No purchasing link, this ocean is too vast
Mouse
This is an interesting question! There are two directions you can go. One is to get high quality switches from a factory mouse with Zowie that will last a long time. The other is to get a serviceable (as in repairable) mouse from Ploopy. I prefer going to Ploopy route, but it’s ultimately up to what you want in a Human Input Device experience. FWIW the owner of Ploopy firmly believes in de-growth economic principals. Here’s just ploopy’s whole ass website see what you like!
Wallet
The classic BIFL consideration! Personally, I’m of the opinion that any hardsided wallet is a gimmick. They’re not comfortable to carry and the advantages they offer are minimal. The ones I’ve liked best are now out of business. I prefer upcycled to recycled or organic. Here’s an example. There’s also a US brand that upcycles firehoses. I forget their name. They have a tendency to partner with Chud influencers though but themselves have a tendency towards environmental stewardship. IDK. It seems… Like everyone should look into it themselves and figure out how to feel.
Powerbank
For this, I recommend getting something 18650 based. Here’s an example. The idea here is that 18650 are amongst the best bang for your bunk in terms of lithium ion rechargable batteries thanks to that they’re used in massive arrays to fuel electric cars. Basically when you buy an 18650, you’re buying a clearance product from a failed bid by Samsung, Panasonic, or LG to sell a batch of batteries cheaper than their competitors to Hyundai, BYD, or Tesla. It’s just the best value for you, the consumer, if you want to store electricity from now until later.
And that’s that!
Now I need to reflect on what it says about me that I’m such a longwinded asshole that I can reach Lemmy’s character limit twice
By god, Quill. You absolute legend. Genuinely excellent write-up.
For wallets in the US, I can vouch for Couch Guitar Straps wallets, and many are upcycled from vintage car upholstery, which makes them quite hard wearing. FlowFold upcycled sailcloth wallets are also quite good (and very thin!), but personally I didn’t really care for the credit card holders.
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Yea, honestly this pencil (and eventually a metal version of this) was like the BIFL of all my school supplies.
I’d get one, maybe a 2 pack, at most once a year. College, I had a metal version that lasted me all 4 years.
Give a kid one nice pencil or 2 pencils, and they won’t lose it. Give em an abundance and they’ll most definitely lose em.
I’m more into simpler mech. pencils (like the older Staedler ones). I got a 30-40 year old one from my dad and it still works perfectly (I just had to clean the internals multiple times).
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Indeed, laptops and even more so power banks, strike me as some of the least BIFL products in existence. Only Smartphones and wireless a earbuds might be worse.
If the child is amenable, a used thinkpad with Linux will keep running smoothly basically forever, take a beating, and be serviceable.
And get them in all kind of arguments over office formats.
Indeed, laptops and even more so power banks, strike me as some of the least BIFL products in existence
Not literally “for life”, sure, but high quality powerbanks can last a long time.
Mine will turn 10 years old in a couple weeks, I see no signs of aging yet.
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Laptop
Get a few years old Thinkpad aim for 16gb ram. 500gb ssd i5 or i7 models. and install bazzite or Ubuntu on it. Those also run win 10/11 without issues but will have more life if run on Linux avoiding all the windows bloat.
I bought an old cheap Thinkpad 8GB RAM 256GB SSD on ebay.
Changed out the battery and put Linux Mint on it. Total costs, including new battery was around $130. I love this thing! Now it’s my everyday driver.
