What the Lithuanians in Dakar brought to the rally in suitcases: there are coffee machines, preserves and jams

However, despite strict procedures, efforts are made to take care of nice things even where the eyes are covered – the endless deserts. Every time teams fly to the Dakar Rally, they pack something in their suitcases to make long days easier or relieve fatigue at night.

By the way, the object is not necessarily palpable. For example, racer Benediktas Vanagas, a driver for the Inbank Toyota Gazoo Racing Baltics team, loves to play chess. Especially when you have to compete with live opponents instead of virtual ones.

So even though he has no special needs and doesn’t bring exceptional items on the run, the team said, B. Vanagas is constantly busy updating the chess game app.

I need coffee and tea

Here’s the Pitlane pilot from the Heston Airlines team, Edvinas Juškauskas, who has a different habit. Instead of morning coffee, he likes to drink tea. So, in preparation for the Dakar Rally, mate tea was placed in the suitcase.

“I haven’t been drinking coffee in a while and I replaced it with tea. I drink it every morning and before I play sports,” said the runner.

E. Juškauskas says that he chose the tea because it sounds good to him and he feels more energetic not only after drinking it, but also for a long time after that.

The crew of Antanas Juknevičius “Kreda” have different needs. Since all the equipment had already been shipped from the port of Marseille in France to Saudi Arabia, the desired items had to be loaded into carry-on luggage. Between them was a small coffee machine.

The latter arrived in the luggage of co-pilot Darius Vaičiulis. And along with a coffee machine and a few hundred capsules. All this so that the team can enjoy coffee whenever they want, because although there is a bivouac dining room, the coffee it offers is not always delicious.

She also took care of the food.

The coffee machine isn’t the only “quirk” of the Kreda team. Despite the fact that the Dakar Rally organizers take care of the meals three times a day, the orange team also packed some loaves of homemade black bread, specially baked.

The bread was necessary because the team has been loading preserves onto the truck for several years. Then in the afternoons when the racers or mechanics are over, you open the tin can, you cut your bread, and it feels like home for at least a little while.

And that is not the only detail that reminds of a home. The suitcase also contained a jar of homemade ginger, honey, and lemon marmalade. The latter, the team assured, would be fine in case of a hook cold, as much cooler weather awaits when the Dakar moves to the other side.