There are a few things you can do to clean a hiking backpack before you need to use it again.

  1. Remove all the items from the backpack and place them in a pile on the floor.
  2. Pour some water onto a cloth and place it over the items in the pile.
  3. Use the cloth to clean everything, starting with the outside of the backpack and working your way in. Be sure to get all of the dirt, dust, and other debris off of your backpack before you finish cleaning it.