We’ve all been there: sitting on top of a suitcase, tugging at a zipper that’s hanging on for dear life. Most of us blame our clothes, but according to Juan Phillips, a veteran luggage designer for award-winning travel brand Travelpro, the real culprit is how we use the “dead space” inside our bags.
“If you don’t systematically use the organic architecture of the bag, you’re wasting massive amounts of space,” Phillips says.
Here is how to use the “Back Wall” method to squeeze a week’s worth of gear into a standard carry-on.
Related: The Genius Carry-On Hack I Wish I Knew Sooner
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1. Conquer the ‘Trough’
Open your suitcase and look at the bottom. Most bags have two parallel bumps—those are the tubes for the retractable handle. Most people lay their clothes flat over these, creating “air pockets” underneath that waste space.
The Hack: Use those gaps (the “troughs”) for your heaviest, most awkward items. This is where you should nestle your shoes, rolled-up denim, or your toiletry kit. By filling the gaps between the handle tubes first, you create a perfectly flat surface for the rest of your clothes, effectively gaining 2–3 inches of depth you didn’t know you had.
Related: The Space-Saving Carry-On Hack That Makes So Much Sense When You See It
2. The ‘L-Shape’ Shoe Secret
Shoes are the ultimate space-killers. Phillips suggests a specific “tetris” move to keep them from bulk-loading one side of the bag.
The Hack: Don’t pack shoes side-by-side. Instead, place them in an “L-Shape” along the perimeter of the bag. Place one shoe along the bottom “back wall” (near the wheels) and the other vertically up the side. If you have a hardside bag, try the “Square Method”: place one shoe normally and the other upside down so they nest together into a compact rectangle.
Related: I’m a Carry-On-Only Traveler—This 3-3-3 Outfit Formula Changed How I Pack
3. The Packing Cube ‘Half-Measure’
There is a Great Debate in the travel world: Packing cubes vs. Rolling. Interestingly, Phillips uses a hybrid approach to save space.
The Hack: Use packing cubes for “uniform” items like undergarments and t-shirts to keep them compressed. But for your main outfits? Roll them. “You can get much more in when you roll,” Phillips notes. By “half-cubing,” you get the organization of a pro but the high-density compression of a roller.
4. The 23-Inch Rule
Before you buy your next bag, check the “true” dimensions. Phillips points out that while airlines say 22 inches is the limit, many “Sizer-Tested” bags are actually 23 inches tall.
The Hack: Why the extra inch? Most airline sizers are built with a one-inch “margin of error.” A bag that is exactly 23″ x 9.5″ will often fit in a sizer that officially requests 22″ x 9″. Look for bags labeled “Sizer-Tested”—that extra inch is the difference between fitting a seventh day of outfits and having to leave a pair of shoes behind.
The Bottom Line: Don’t just throw things in a box. Build your bag from the “back wall” out, filling the handle gaps first, and you’ll find you can skip the checked-bag fee for almost any week-long trip.
Related: I Traveled for a Year with a Carry-On—Here is the Only Way to Use Packing Cubes