If you have 12" wide objects to stick into a 23" wide suitcase, you can't stick two of them side by side, so you have 11" of dead space because you're an inch s

If you have 12" wide objects to stick into a 23" wide suitcase, you can't stick two of them side by side, so you have 11" of dead space because you're an inch short on making them divide evenly. If you can roll it into a 3" wide tube to fit into the same suitcase, even though you're still an inch short of fitting an extra object into the case, you only have 2" of dead space.