# kayakgear.guide

Site grounding for agents without the kayakgear.guide repository: its seven charter files, unchanged except that headings sit two levels lower and every term id the pinned version defines, in the frontmatter blocks too, is followed by its label from the pinned version. The YAML blocks are therefore for reading, not parsing; the repo files are the source.

- Domain: kayakgear.guide
- Pins: editorial-charter@1.3.1, portfolio-icp@1.0.0
- Repo: dd62fe1eb449f9ac55137a487817309e0b9a8c39 (committed 2026-10-03T14:31:10-07:00)
- Built 2026-10-05T03:25:29+00:00
- Pages: https://taxonomy.tfw.bz/sites/kayakgear.guide/

## BRAND.md

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 06d9b3ca7e91bdf56b7741bce2c90ce370d968d56d187a90d66556405204b28f

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: kayakgear.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
archetype: charter:brand-archetype-everyman (everyman)
secondary_archetype: charter:brand-archetype-sage (sage)
claims:
  - id: c1
    text: The guide does not sell kayaks or accessories directly. It publishes independent comparisons and buying guidance.
    basis: charter:claim-basis-documented (documented)
    source: about.manifest.json copy.commercialStance
  - id: c2
    text: Recommendations draw on manufacturer specifications and safety-authority guidance, including the US Coast Guard and the National Park Service.
    basis: charter:claim-basis-documented (documented)
    source: about.manifest.json copy.summary150 (en); VOICE.md section 6 citation posture
  - id: c3
    text: No page claims hands-on testing, a named tester or a rating until one exists.
    basis: charter:claim-basis-documented (documented)
    source: PRODUCT.md contract; VOICE.md section 6
```

### BRAND

#### Name and entity
Kayak Gear Guide (kayakgear.guide), an independent buying guide founded by Thomas Prommer and launched in 2026. Entity home: https://kayakgear.guide/en/about/ (`about.manifest.json`).

#### Promise
You buy the first kayak that fits your water, your storage and your budget, even when that is the cheaper one.

#### Personality
The everyman, with a sage's care for specs: a straight-talking dealer at the boat show. It answers which type to buy for your water, gives both sides fairly and closes each comparison with a short verdict. Plainspoken, practical and a little playful, never loud listing copy (PRODUCT.md, VOICE.md).

#### Visual pointers
Locked "Price Show Flyer" direction: a printed boat-show collage on cream paper with Bungee display, Karla body and Permanent Marker notes. Tokens: `design/tokens.json`. Rationale and rules: `DESIGN.md`.

#### Do / Don't
Do: end each comparison with a verdict line. Do: use price bands, not exact prices that go stale. Do: cite the coast guard or the equivalent authority for safety gear in each market.
Don't: write "we tested" or invent an author, tester or rating. Don't: call anything "best overall" without criteria. Don't: bash brands.

## VOICE.md

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 a90e54783b06c56f3a5027704b0a692011c89929bfe8fa552fb245c974d7b9ae

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: kayakgear.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
register: charter:voice-register-practitioner (practitioner)
person: charter:voice-person-second (second person)
languages: [en, de, es, fr, pt]
addresses: [first-kayak-buyers]
essence: "The honest dealer who talks you into the right kayak, even when it's the cheaper one."
```

<!-- ASSUMED DEFAULT, 2026-09-17: recommended voice option 'a. Straight-talking dealer' from ~/reports/site-strategy/kayakgear.guide.json, pending Tom's review in ~/reports/site-decisions/index.html. If Tom picks another voice this file is replaced. -->

### VOICE: kayakgear.guide (Straight-talking dealer)

> Loaded by /humanizer (Step 0) and the content publishing gate (drafting Step 1 + humanizer Step 3). If absent, both fall back to generic mode.

#### 1. Identity & Register
- Voice owner / who speaks: kayakgear.guide editorial, second person
- Register: practitioner
- Language/locale: en (US), imperial first
- One-line essence: The honest dealer who talks you into the right kayak, even when it's the cheaper one.

#### 2. Audience
- Primary audience: beginner
- Reader's job-to-be-done: buy a first kayak and the essential kit for their water and budget
- Assume they know: that they want to paddle. Always explain: kayak types, hull length trade-offs, inflatable construction, what safety gear is required

#### 3. Tone Axes
- Formal ───●─── Casual
- Authority ─●───── Peer
- Serious ──●──── Playful
- Concise ─●───── Expansive
- Default editorial_track: factual

#### 4. Person, POV & Cadence
- Person: second person
- Sentence rhythm: medium sentences, a short verdict sentence closing each section
- Paragraph length: 2 to 4 sentences
- Structural tics to keep: verdict line per comparison ('Warm water and short trips, sit-on-top'); price bands instead of exact prices; 'add this before launch' kit list
- Structural tics to avoid: exact prices that go stale; 'best overall' without criteria; brand bashing

#### 5. Lexicon
- Preferred terms: sit-on-top, sit-in, tandem, inflatable, drop-stitch, tracking, stability, weight capacity, PFD (life jacket on first mention)
- Banned phrases (beyond humanizer's generic list): "steal of a deal", "unbeatable", "paddle your way to", "yak" slang in headlines
- Capitalization & spelling rules: Sit-on-top hyphenated. Brand and model casing per manufacturer (Pelican, Old Town, Lifetime Tamarack 100, Sea Eagle).
- Domain-jargon level: low to moderate; define each hull or construction term once

#### 6. E-E-A-T / Experience Claims
- Authentic experience this voice can claim: none yet. No "we tested", "in our experience" or invented authors, testers or credentials. Claims rest on cited manufacturer specs and authorities until a real byline exists.
- Named author + bio source: added later by a human (TBD). Do not invent one.
- Quantified credential for bios: TBD by the named author. Leave empty rather than inventing.
- Citation posture: Specs and weight capacity from manufacturer pages. Safety gear requirements cite the coast guard or equivalent authority per market.
- Original-data hooks this voice owns: type-picker tables by water, storage and budget; weight capacity comparisons from manufacturer specs
- "What I got wrong" angle: the common first-buy mistake per page (buying for looks, ignoring weight capacity, skipping the paddle upgrade)

#### 7. Gold-Standard Examples
- Example A (proposal sample, /en/sit-kayak/sit-sit-kayak/; replace with a published paragraph once live): "Sit-on-top or sit-in? For a first kayak on a warm lake, pick the sit-on-top. You sit on a moulded seat above the water, scupper holes drain whatever splashes in, and if you tip over you just climb back on. A sit-in kayak keeps your legs inside the hull, so you stay drier and warmer, and it tracks better on longer trips. The catch: re-entry after a capsize is harder and usually needs practice or a pump. Warm water and short trips, sit-on-top. Cold water or distance, sit-in."
  - Why on-voice: answer first, both sides fairly, ends on a two-line verdict
- Example B (proposal sample, /en/inflatable-kayak/): "An inflatable kayak lives in a closet and fits in a car trunk. Ask two things before the price: how many separate air chambers it has, and whether the floor is drop-stitch. More chambers means you can still get to shore if one leaks."
  - Why on-voice: practical, two questions, why they matter

#### 8. Anti-References
- loud Amazon listing copy
- 'best kayaks 2026' farms
- outdoors lifestyle prose with no answer

#### 9. Other languages
Voice is authored in English. Translations (DeepL, then native review) keep the same tone axes, with these register rules:
- de: du. German paddling retail talks du, and the flyer design is informal. Metric. PFD rules cite the relevant national authority, not a retailer.
- es: tu. Metric. Say which market when rules differ (Spain vs Latin America).
- fr: tu for the deal voices (a, b), vous for the reference voice (c). Metric.
- pt: voce, Brazil-neutral. Metric.

## STRATEGY.md

Version 1.1.1 · status draft · sha256 5d4f8e7de00111ea88e3f52c8af23eaf6d5075a6d46bc833bf924eeb34c656ba

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.1.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: kayakgear.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
mission_shape: charter:mission-shape-serve-x-to-achieve-y (serve X to achieve Y)
horizon: charter:horizon-12m (12 months)
positioning:
  primary: charter:positioning-axis-speed-of-answer (speed of answer)
  secondary: [charter:positioning-axis-price-position (price position)]
audiences:
  - kind: charter:audience-kind-consumer (consumer)
    name: First-kayak buyers
    segment: first-kayak-buyers
    job_to_be_done: Pick a kayak type for their water and storage, compare entry-level and tandem models, and know which accessories are essential.
profile_required: true
```

### STRATEGY

#### Mission
We help people buying their first kayak choose a boat and the essential kit for their water, storage and budget, using manufacturer specs and safety-authority guidance.

#### Positioning
Speed of answer first: each comparison ends in a verdict, such as "warm water and short trips, sit-on-top". Price position second: the guide speaks in price bands and will point to the cheaper boat when it fits. We concede hands-on review authority, because the site has no testing, and we concede the model listings to big-box retailers.

#### Audiences
First-kayak buyers are recreational buyers, often a couple, a family or someone in an apartment, buying for lakes and calm rivers. Summer, a lake trip or storage limits trigger the search, and they compare entry-level sit-on-tops, Pelican models and inflatables at big-box prices.

#### Competitors
Walmart, Dick's and Costco listings, YouTube unboxings and "best kayaks" affiliate farms (briefs/strategy.md, VOICE.md section 8).

#### What we will not do
No sales, affiliate links, invented tests, authors or ratings while PRODUCT.md stands. No exact prices that go stale. No angler or touring-kit focus, which were alternatives not chosen. No ad slot or listing fee goes live until Tom confirms.

#### Bets for the horizon
1. Own the type questions: inflatable, sit-on-top against sit-in, foldable, two-person (moves gsc_clicks).
2. Make the type-picker tables by water, storage and budget the page buyers keep open in the shop (moves content_engaged).

## AUDIENCE.md

Version 1.1.2 · status draft · sha256 d44c530f89bae6988ce2235db4c0efd2f3cd2920f5dcebb842793eba387f3e01

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.1.2
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: kayakgear.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
segments:
  - slug: first-kayak-buyers
    name: First-kayak buyers
    kind: charter:audience-kind-consumer (consumer)
    archetype: icp:gear-buyer-enthusiast (Gear-buying enthusiast)
    priority: charter:segment-priority-primary (primary)
    job_to_be_done: Pick a kayak type for their water and storage, compare entry-level and tandem models, and know which accessories are essential.
    funnel_stages: [charter:funnel-stage-awareness (awareness), charter:funnel-stage-consideration (consideration), charter:funnel-stage-decision (decision)]
    languages: [en, de, es, fr, pt]
    regions: [US, DE, ES, FR, BR]
    pains:
      - Sit-in against sit-on-top is confusing.
      - Inflatable quality is a worry.
      - The kayak has to fit in a car or an apartment.
    channels: [charter:channel-organic-search (organic search), charter:channel-social-video (social video)]
    entry_paths: ["/en/inflatable-kayak/*", "/en/sit-kayak/*"]
    size_signal: {metric: monthly_searches, value: 122000, unit: count}
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-researched (researched), source: "PRODUCT.md readers and purpose (US first-kayak buyers comparing boats, storage and essential kit) and briefs/strategy.md ICP b", as_of: 2026-10-03}
      size_signal: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "briefs/strategy.md (about 122,000 monthly en searches: inflatable 49,300, Pelican 25,800, sit-on-top 24,500, foldable 22,200)", as_of: 2026-09-17}
      regions: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-researched (researched), source: "PRODUCT.md (US first; other languages serve Germany, Spain, France and Brazil) and about.manifest.json entity.languages (en, de, es, fr, pt); no traffic data", as_of: 2026-10-03}
```

### AUDIENCE

#### First-kayak buyers
Recreational buyers, often a couple, a family or someone in an apartment, buying a first kayak for lakes and calm rivers. They compare entry-level sit-on-tops, Pelican models and inflatables at big-box prices on a phone at home or in the shop. Source: briefs/strategy.md ICP b, PRODUCT.md.

#### Excluded audiences
Not written for: kayak anglers and owners kitting out an existing boat (alternatives not chosen in briefs/strategy.md), whitewater and sea-kayak experts, and readers looking for deal coupons. Source: briefs/strategy.md, VOICE.md section 8.

## MONETIZATION.md

Version 1.1.1 · status draft · sha256 23a251e8bc130c59dda2d6d9f9c272497583d23ae1a872e5c37de4aecfbed44f

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.1.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: kayakgear.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
revenue_lines:
  - slug: display-ads-guides
    name: Display ads on type and comparison guides
    type: charter:revenue-type-display-ads (display ads)
    network: Ezoic, then Mediavine Journey
    commission_model: charter:commission-model-rpm (RPM)
    placements: [charter:placement-type-display-slot (display slot)]
    segments: [first-kayak-buyers]
    kpi_key: ad_revenue_recorded
    status: charter:revenue-status-idea (idea)
    share_band: charter:revenue-share-band-minor (minor)
    start_trigger: Tom chooses a monetisation model compatible with PRODUCT.md and traffic reaches the network minimum
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-researched (researched), source: "briefs/strategy.md alternative b (display ads first: Ezoic, then Mediavine Journey, then Raptive), not chosen; PRODUCT.md forbids sales and affiliate links, not ads", as_of: 2026-10-03}
```

### MONETIZATION

#### Revenue model
PRODUCT.md says "No sales, affiliate links, invented tests, authors or ratings", and the entity manifest says the guide does not sell kayaks or accessories (about.manifest.json copy.commercialStance). That policy overrides the affiliate default in briefs/strategy.md, so every affiliate line is removed. The one remaining line is display ads, the brief's alternative b, which the policy does not forbid. It stays an idea with no core line, because no decision or integration exists.

#### Disclosure rules
Label ad slots as advertising and keep them out of type-picker tables and verdict lines. If Tom lifts the PRODUCT.md rule, disclose the material connection near each link (FTC 16 CFR 255) and add Amazon's own Associates statement where it applies.

#### Not monetised
- Affiliate links to Sea Eagle, NRS, Mustang Survival, REI, Amazon Associates and Decathlon. briefs/strategy.md proposed them; PRODUCT.md forbids affiliate links.
- Direct sales of kayaks or accessories.
- Paid ratings, sponsored rankings or "best overall" without criteria.
- Rental and tour booking referrals and brand sponsorship, alternative c in briefs/strategy.md.

#### Display ads on type and comparison guides
Display ads on informational type and comparison pages, starting with Ezoic and moving to Mediavine Journey once traffic meets its minimum (briefs/strategy.md alternative b).

## KPI.md

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 6399c999426595c1b07dcaa5a775445ef252db24243a31a96365b9066f40d59b

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: kayakgear.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
template: charter:kpi-template-editorial-traffic (editorial traffic)
template_override: ""
kpis:
  - {key: pageview_recorded, role: charter:kpi-role-primary (primary)}
  - {key: gsc_clicks, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: gsc_impressions, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: avg_position, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: content_engaged, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: newsletter_subscribed, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: affiliate_clicked, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: crawl_errors, role: charter:kpi-role-guardrail (guardrail)}
  - {key: pages_indexed, role: charter:kpi-role-guardrail (guardrail)}
catalog_sha: 4304fc97e9ac457725bdc25dcbb724c36257a707cbb3c237b69cd3e7ba04ac39
```

### KPI

#### Why these metrics
pageview_recorded is the number the site is run on while the type and model pages build reach. gsc_clicks, gsc_impressions and avg_position show whether those pages earn visibility against big-box listings and affiliate farms. content_engaged shows whether readers use the type-picker tables; the site emits only preferred_source_click today. newsletter_subscribed is kept from the template; there is no signup yet. affiliate_clicked measures the planned retailer links and stays at zero while PRODUCT.md rules them out. crawl_errors and pages_indexed are the guardrails once the site is indexed: errors must not rise and indexed pages must follow the five-language plan.

#### Reading guide
Read pageview_recorded weekly against the target in kpi-mgmt once one is entered; none exists yet. The site is noindex today, so search keys stay near zero until launch. Demand is seasonal with spring and summer peaks, so compare a week with the same weeks of the previous season, not with the week before.

#### Review cadence
Quarterly, with the 12-month bets in STRATEGY.md, and before each spring season.

## taxonomy/binding.yaml

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 e001d1c063fdd29e68f47bfb838f0de842647c6bdccf07d84256f0ca1ee4a873

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: kayakgear.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
iab_content: ["iab:483"]
icp_profile: portfolio-icp@1.0.0
content_profile: null
languages: [en, de, es, fr, pt]
regions: [US, DE, ES, FR, BR]
```