Hemp · Hemp-Cotton Blend
Hemp and hemp-cotton backpacks handmade by artisans in Kathmandu — printed and plain styles, everyday to travel. MOQ from 20 units, custom embroidery available. Trusted by importers in 80+ countries since 1999.
Nepali hemp backpacks are bags made from long-fibre hemp canvas hand-woven in the mid-hill districts of Nepal and stitched in workshops in Kathmandu. They use 100% industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa, <0.3% THC, legal to import in the EU, US, UK, Canada, and Australia) or a hemp-cotton blend, and are sold wholesale to retailers and importers in 80+ countries with a minimum order quantity from 20 units per style.
Hemp has the longest natural cellulose fibre of any commercial textile — up to 4.5 m, compared with roughly 2.5 cm for cotton. The result is a canvas with around 3× the tensile strength of cotton of the same weight, better UV resistance than jute, and the rare property of softening with use rather than wearing thin.
Our standard backpack hemp is 12 oz / yd² (similar to military canvas), double-stitched at stress points with YKK or equivalent zippers and reinforced webbing straps rated to 15 kg. Independent buyers reorder the same model for school programs where students carry them daily for 3+ years.
| Property | Hemp | Cotton | Jute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength | 3× cotton | baseline | 2× cotton |
| Wear pattern | softens with use | starts soft, wears thin | stays coarse |
| UV resistance | excellent | moderate | poor |
| Mildew resistance | excellent | poor | moderate |
| Canvas weight (typical) | 10–14 oz/yd² | 8–12 oz/yd² | 9–10 oz/yd² |
| Wholesale positioning | premium / eco | versatile / value | budget-natural |
The process from raw plant to finished backpack takes 8–12 weeks across four workshops in Nepal.
Mature hemp stalks are cut at altitude (1,500–3,000 m), bundled, and submerged in mountain streams for 2–3 weeks. The retting process loosens the fibre from the woody core.
Village women separate the long bast fibres by hand, then spin them on traditional drop spindles into yarn — work that has supported rural households for generations.
Spun yarn is woven on pit-looms into a canvas roughly 60 cm wide. A single weaver produces 4–6 metres per day.
Bolts of canvas arrive in our Thamel workshop where pattern-maker Manoj Pariyar cuts to spec. The team then sews, reinforces stress points, attaches YKK hardware and straps, and finishes with hangtags and woven labels for private-label buyers.
Standard hemp canvas is water-resistant, not waterproof — it sheds light rain for 15–30 minutes before darkening. For full waterproofing we can add a beeswax or PFC-free DWR finish on request (adds 5–7 days lead time, MOQ 100 units). Many buyers leave the canvas raw to preserve the natural patina hemp develops with use.
MOQ starts at 20 units per style for our standard catalogue. Mixed orders across colourways are welcome within the same model. For private-label or fully bespoke designs, MOQ is typically 100–250 units depending on the build complexity.
Nepali hemp is grown wild and rain-fed in the Himalayan mid-hills (1,500–3,000 m elevation) with no pesticides, then hand-peeled and spun in village cooperatives. The fibre is longer and stronger than mass-cultivated lowland hemp from China or India, where most production is mechanised and blended. The trade-off: smaller batch sizes and a 4–6 week lead time on top of the standard production window.
Yes. Our hemp contains less than 0.3% THC and is classified as industrial hemp (non-drug Cannabis sativa) under EU, US, UK, Canadian, and Australian customs law. No special import permit is required — finished textile is treated as ordinary canvas. We provide a Certificate of Origin and ingredient declaration with every shipment.
Properly cared for, 10+ years. The fibre softens rather than thinning, and the canvas develops a patina similar to aged denim. Hardware (zippers, buckles) typically becomes the limiting factor; we use YKK or equivalent for that reason. Wash cold on gentle, air dry in shade — avoid bleach and high heat.
Raw hemp has a mild earthy smell that fades within a week of airing. We do not use fragrance masking. Heavy chemical smell on arrival would indicate residual finishing agent — ours are rinsed and sun-dried before packing to prevent this.
Yes. We offer woven labels (sewn into each piece, MOQ 250 units), printed hangtags (recycled paper or card, MOQ 100), custom packaging (cotton pouches or branded boxes), and embroidery / screen-print on the bag itself. No setup fee on woven tags for orders of 500+ units. Send your logo as .ai, .eps, .svg, or 300 DPI PNG with transparent background.
Standard terms: 50% T/T (bank wire) on order confirmation to start production, 50% balance when goods are ready to ship from Kathmandu. We also accept Western Union, MoneyGram, RIA, and Letter of Credit for larger orders. We do not accept PayPal, Wise, credit cards, or cryptocurrency for wholesale orders.
