All the Hemp That Fits

Humans and hemp have been intertwined since the Neolithic period. Over the centuries, we’ve used its fibers to make everything from textiles to the rigging rope that helped sailors circumnavigate the globe. Hemp has long been trusted with our heavy lifting, but why? This magical plant has a large number of hydrogen bonds and a linear molecular structure that give it the simple, no-​nonsense strength of a chain—a long chain, in fact. In good growing conditions, the hemp stem can reach over 13 feet high, which means 13 feet of cellulose fibers that can be woven to make durable cloth and cordage.