WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 6 of Laid Back Camp Season 2, now streaming on Crunchyroll.
In Laid Back Camp, Rin Shima has been an expert camper for years, so her new friends are determined to prove that they can launch a wonderful camping trip without relying on her so often. Rin has been a big help, but Chiaki, Nadeshiko and the others shouldn't use training wheels forever. It's time to visit Lake Yamanaka, without Rin's help.
Right now, Nadeshiko and Rin are busy with their part-time jobs, so Chiaki plans a new camping trip with Ena Saito and Aoi Inuyama, and the three girls have arrived at last at the lake. They've got a great view of Mt. Fuji from here, but things are about to get direr than they've ever been on this typically calm series. Winter camping shouldn't be taken lightly.
Chikai and the Girls ALMOST Freeze
Lake Yamanaka is a lovely place for camping, even on a chilly January day, and this time, Chiaki and her friends are (mostly) prepared. They scraped together the cash to buy some much-needed camping gear, such as fold-out tents and a tarp, and the girls are confident that they can pull this off. The tents are set up with no problem, and with a tarp over them, no snow or rain will get on the tents. Chiaki shows off her improvised hammock: she can sit on a taller camp chair, then put her feet up on a short one, and Ena and Aoi are impressed. Ena doesn't have her own seat, though, so Chiaki lends her one from her "hammock" out of fairness.
But there's a problem: it's getting really cold as the afternoon creeps toward sunset, and some distance away, Rin Shima notes the Yamanaka weather on her phone. It's -15 degrees Celsius, or about 5 degrees Fahrenheit, and the girls are not prepared for that level of freezing weather. Chiaki and the others are already shivering despite their blankets and coats under the afternoon sun, and they don't have quite enough gear for the frigid night, not even full-size hand warmers or firewood. Panicking a little, Chiaki races off to find a convenience store, but it's a long hike on foot, and Aoi and Ena can't find any natural firewood as the night sets in. Things are going south fast.
Other Campers Save the Day
Luckily, there are other campers around Lake Yamanaka who invite the girls to join them in a rather large tent. An older man and a younger woman (probably his daughter) are cozy in a huge tent, complete with a stove and metal chimney, and Ena and Aoi are welcomed inside to get a break from the winter night. The girls had met the lady and her dog Choko earlier, but they never expected to need her help. By the time Chiaki finally returns, she's alarmed to find her own camp uninhabited, but her friends soon call her over to the neighboring tent, and the party is now complete. It's time to eat.
Motsu hot pot with ramen is on the menu tonight, and the kind older man is putting the finishing touches on the mouth-watering meal. Chiaki doesn't mind giving up her kiritanpo hot pot idea in exchange for this. Then another friend joins the party: Minabi Toba, who got a text from Rin warning her about the weather. Minami gently reprimands the three girls for going winter camping without taking all the necessary precautions, and Chiaki takes this to heart. Otherwise, though, it's an evening of fun and games, though once again, Minami has a little too much sake and calls Rin in a tipsy haze.
By the next morning, Chiaki and her friends are in good spirits as they greet the dawn, and they feel like they've grown up a little as campers. They can't rely on Rin forever, and learning to camp will come with some growing pains, like this chilly night. That's perfectly OK, and elsewhere, Nadeshiko is feeling pretty ambitious herself. She informs Rin over the phone that she's ready to take her own solo camping trip. What adventures lay ahead?