The past week was all about finishing touches. With the departure approaching, it was time to organize the last remaining details and bring everything together.

Midweek, on Wednesday, we made one final visit to the university hospital for our last scheduled vaccinations. With that appointment completed, the medical preparations are now officially done. Fortunately, we’re both feeling well, which makes this final phase noticeably more relaxed.

By Saturday, the focus shifted entirely to packing. We loaded the remaining equipment into the car and made sure everything had its place. Overall, the setup works as planned. Of course, there will always be some minor adjustments along the way, but at this point the main packing phase is complete.

One small but important detail was still missing until now: the sandboards. We’ve decided not to mount them on the roof. Instead, they fit well lengthwise in the rear of the vehicle — just like on our last trip — so they’re safely stored in the trunk. This keeps the roof setup simpler.

As a result, the load on the roof rack is now clearly structured: one spare wheel (with another spare mounted underneath the vehicle), three jerry cans — two for diesel and one for water — and the mounting system for our Starlink. Overall, the roof setup remains clean and uncluttered, which was exactly the goal.

Today, we moved on to the final technical checks. We took precise measurements of the vehicle in its fully loaded configuration, including the roof setup and spare fuel canisters. Knowing the exact height, we placed a small sticker inside the cabin — a simple reminder for tight clearances along the way. Water supplies were topped up, and with that, the technical preparations are also finished. From a weight perspective, everything feels well balanced, and we’re confident that the setup will perform reliably on the road.

Now, only a few days remain before departure towards Dresden. The countdown has truly begun, and with Friday already in sight, it’s clear that the transition from preparation to travel the Dresden-Dakar-Banjul Rally is just around the corner.