BIFL Back to School Megathread
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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.
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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.
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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
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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?
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
Water bottle:
I think they’re a conservative company, but if your kid can handle the weight, Yeti bottles are worth the price. They’re dishwasher safe and take a huge beating. There also one of the couple metal bottles I’ve used that seem to do alright with not making it taste like metal.
Stick with the stock lid. They’re a little bit of a pain to drink from since it’s a huge hole, but the default lid seems to impart the least amount of plastic and rubber flavor.
If you DON’T want a vacuum insulated bottle, or not even metal, just get a modern 1 liter Nalgene bottle. Those things are also bulletproof. They’ll take on more plastic flavor and don’t do AS well in the sun, but are cheaper and weigh a lot less. Pair the Nalgene with a decent carabiner around the loop for a useful and fashionable hold and to clip it to stuff like a backpack, lanyard, or desk. I think those 1L Nalgene bottles might also do okay at dishwasher.
Expectation ballpark pricing: the Yetis go for 25-60 USD, Nalgenes go for 10-25.
Don’t buy a cup. Those are dumb.
Don’t buy a straw, those are dumb.
Hydroflasks are a decent alternative to Yeti and are lighter (and maybe 5-10% cheaper, and maybe less conservative company), but last I saw, are not dishwasher safe. Dishwasher is a big deal to me. Buy a dedicated bottle brush, too. Avoid (used/non brand new) sponges on them because sponges get fucking nasty and you don’t want those anywhere near your water supply.
Always ALWAYS ALWAYS smell your water bottle. Smell the inside, smell the opening, smell the lid. Smell = bacterial growth. Having good, clean drinking water is like a fucking art.
Get a water filter, if you can. And treat your hard/soft water if you can.
Good water makes a WORLD of difference, both immediately, and also long term in life. You drink more water, get less bullshit like lead, be more hydrated, it’s better for your teeth, your skin, your eyes, your brain, your success, your health, your weight, etc.
If the bottle is too heavy or too cumbersome, the kid won’t use it. If the bottle makes the water taste bad at all or isn’t fashionable, they won’t use it. And if they won’t use it, they likely aren’t drinking enough water, and maybe drinking other things that are less good for them, instead.
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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.
I have a 21800mah (edit: it’s 26800) Anker power bank from like 2015 that is by far the most reliable power bank I’ve ever had or seen. I have older and newer banks die, even others from Anker, but not that one. It doesn’t have PD, only quickcharge 2.0 (edit: 3.0) or something, it’s like a green label on that port. It’s enough to sustain my Samsung ultra phone like 3-5x+ completely, still, after all these years. I do try not to leave it in really hot or cold places though, like in the car. It IS like a flat half of an actual brick, though, and the body is actual metal.
Looked it up, I think it’s this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01K6TA748
I’m blown away that the product even still has a listing on Amazon, even if it might be discontinued (not sure). If you CAN get this battery, I give it (and only it) an absolute 10/10 rating. Just don’t expect to charge anything like a laptop, Switch, or even a Steam Deck at normal speed. Phones, though? Chefs kiss.
Edit2: looked around a little bit, and it does seem to be discontinued. I wouldn’t buy from ebay or a used one, but I don’t think I’d sell mine. Not even for a thousand dollars. That sounds crazy, but when I need a reliable bank for a road trip or camping, having a really reliable battery pack is worth a FUCKTON of time testing and finding a good product, that I’m just not excited to try again any time soon. Reliability in something like this is worth a lot to me.
