Large Kathmandu Backpack – Dhaka Design (39x28x13cm)

A large cotton and hemp backpack made in Nepal, covered in Dhaka-woven fabric — the traditional hand-loomed textile known for its geometric patterns and bright colour work. This one uses a blue-dominant colourway across the body panels. The bag measures 39cm tall, 28cm wide, and 13cm deep, which puts it comfortably in the day-pack size range: big enough for a full day out, not so big it overwhelms a smaller frame. Adjustable shoulder straps, multiple zippered compartments, and a structured rectangular shape keep it practical for daily use. What You're Working With The main compartment is genuinely spacious — 39cm of height means a water bottle, packed lunch, jumper, book, and wallet all fit without forcing the zip. The 13cm depth gives the bag enough structure to stand upright when set down, which matters more than you'd think at markets, in cafés, or on public transport. Multiple zippered pockets across the front and sides give you separation between items. Keys, phone, and cards can go in outer pockets where you can reach them without opening the main compartment — the kind of practical detail that makes a bag feel organised rather than just roomy. The Dhaka fabric panels are woven in Nepal from cotton thread on narrow handlooms. The geometric pattern on each panel is slightly different from the next, which means no two bags are identical. The blue colourway sits alongside flashes of other colours typical of modern Dhaka weaving — expect some variation from the product images. The shoulder straps are adjustable and padded enough for comfort over a full day, though this isn't a technical hiking pack. It's designed for walking, commuting, browsing, and travelling light — not hauling heavy loads over distance. The hemp component in the construction adds durability. Hemp fibre is naturally strong and gets softer with use rather than wearing thin, so the bag loosens up over the first few weeks without losing its shape. Cotton, Hemp, Dhaka Panels The body of the bag is built from a cotton-hemp blend, which provides the structure. The outer panels are Dhaka fabric — a hand-woven cotton textile produced on narrow wooden looms in Nepal. Dhaka weaving is a weft-faced technique, meaning the coloured horizontal threads dominate the surface and create the visible pattern, while the warp threads sit mostly hidden underneath. The geometric designs are not printed or embroidered — they are structural, built into the cloth during weaving. The blue colourway on this bag is part of the modern Dhaka palette. Traditional Dhaka cloth used black, white, red, and orange. Contemporary weavers have expanded into blues, greens, yellows, and other colours while keeping the same geometric vocabulary of diamonds, zigzags, and stepped borders. The fabric on this backpack reflects that evolution — recognisably Dhaka in structure, but with a colour range that sits easily alongside modern clothing. Metal zip closures on the compartments. Stitched seams throughout. The construction is sturdy but not rigid — the bag has some give, which lets it flex when packed full rather than straining at the seams. Day-to-Day and Travel This is a day bag. It suits daily commuting, weekend city trips, market browsing, festivals, and light travel where you want your hands free. It carries a day's essentials comfortably. It is not a substitute for a technical rucksack if you're hiking with weight, and it has no internal frame or hip belt — it's not trying to be that kind of bag. For travel, it works well as a personal item alongside a larger suitcase, or as the only bag for a day trip from your accommodation. The rectangular shape packs neatly under a seat or in an overhead compartment. Spot clean with a damp cloth. The Dhaka fabric panels are woven cotton, so avoid soaking or machine washing — the colours may run and the weave can distort. Air dry flat if it gets wet. The hemp portions of the bag will soften with handling over time, which is normal and desirable. Dhaka Weaving and Why It Looks Like That Dhaka is Nepal's most recognisable textile tradition. The fabric takes its name from a historical connection to Dhaka (now the capital of Bangladesh), where a similar fine cotton cloth was produced centuries ago. Nepali Dhaka weaving developed its own distinct identity primarily in two regions: Palpa in western Nepal and Tehrathum in the east. Both areas still produce Dhaka cloth today, predominantly by women working on small wooden handlooms. What makes Dhaka distinctive is the density of the patterning. Weavers work colour changes row by row, building geometric motifs directly into the fabric structure. A single metre of Dhaka cloth can take a full working day to produce, depending on pattern complexity. The narrow loom width — smaller than standard textile looms — means fabric is produced in strips, which is why Dhaka products often show panel construction where strips are joined together. On this backpack, you can see that