Buy it for Life

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A place to share practical, durable and quality made products that are made to last, with an emphasis on upcycled and sustainable products!

Guidelines:

Things that are well-made and durable (even if they won't last a lifetime) are A-Okay!

Unlike that other BIFL place, Home-made and DIY items are encouraged here, as long as some form of instruction is included in the body of the post.

Videos links are not allowed as post titles, but you may use them in a text post.

A limited amount of self-promotion is accepted, IF the item you are selling aligns with this criteria:

The item must be made with sustainable or recycled materials.
If electronic in some way, the item must be open-source.
The item must be user-serviceable (if applicable).
You cannot be a large corporation.
The post must be clearly marked with a [Self Promotion] tag in your title.

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BIFL Back to School Megathread (piefed.social)

submitted 6 hours ago by xcel@piefed.social to c/buyitforlife@slrpnk.net

17 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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

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[–] BurntWits@sh.itjust.works 4 points 4 hours ago (2 children)

I don’t have answers for all categories, but the ones I have experience with:

Pens - I’ve been very happy with my Parker Jotter the last maybe 5-6 years or so. I’ve got lots of different pens but this is the one I always go back to, and it’s still like new. Runs smooth, durable, super satisfying click, doesn’t dry out
Ruler - basically any metal ruler without fancy features (no folding etc) that could break, and with etched markings rather than printed that could fade over time. You could probably get a cheap one at Walmart or something that satisfies this
Water bottle - Nalgene, if you’re okay with plastic
Backpack - if it’s just for school, Jansport are great. If you want to use it for travel or hiking too, Osprey are the best in my experience but they’re expensive and overkill for just school
Wallet - Popov Leather have the absolute best leather wallets, belts, watch straps, etc in my opinion. Just find the style you like, they’ve got lots to choose from

[–] skeevy_scallops@feddit.online 2 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

I'll second osprey packs and nalgenes even if its just the hiker in me. I bought an osprey parsec in like 2012 mostly fir school use. The only reason I replaced it last year is because it didn't suit my needs for a backpack anymore. The only thing that ever broke was part of a buckle and even then the buckle still functioned. Beyond a little wear and tear, the bag is still 100% functional today. Easily one of the best things I've ever purchased.

And the only reason I've replaced a nalgene is because I dropped one in a river and wasn't able to retrieve it.

[–] Today@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

I love my Osprey. I visit 1-6 schools per day for work, so it spends a lot of time in my trunk or on classroom floors. I think I've had it about 18 months and it shows no signs of wear, despite carrying tools in one of the side pockets- that's what killed my previous backpacks. I also have a Kipling that still looks great after 10+ years, but i only use it for travel.

For pens, i really like the sharpie rollerballs.

[–] BurntWits@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 hours ago

I’m currently using their Daylite Sling as my EDC bag and it’s fantastic. I convinced my dad to get a 40L backpack from them and he’s been extremely happy with it. Everyone else I’ve known who’s had a bag from them has raved about how good it is.

[–] xcel@piefed.social 1 points 4 hours ago (3 children)

Any recs apart from nalgene as they are all ugly in my opinion

[–] BurntWits@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 hours ago

Contigo are pretty good plastic ones that look a bit nicer. If you want metal, I have a few from Stanley that are great at keeping stuff iced for literal days, but they’ll obviously be heavier. They’re also more expensive too.

[–] CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 3 hours ago

Personally I think you can go on aliexpress and buy any one of dozens of designs. They’re all made in China just white labelled.

If you like brands, zojirushi is quality. I hate the brand but yeti does have nice features on their bottles. Kleen kanteen also good. But they’re all pretty similar.

[–] somebody_to_love@lemmy.today 1 points 3 hours ago

Laken thermo bottle. Stainless steel. Keeps liquids cool/hot for ~4 hours. Built like a tank, it has gone flying from my backpack pocket multiple times - once it rolled on the ground for 50 meters when I had a bike accident. Still works after 10 years, using it daily.