# rucking.guide

Site grounding for agents without the rucking.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: rucking.guide
- Pins: editorial-charter@1.3.1, portfolio-icp@1.0.0
- Repo: 9188c93289f71bdfbfd712d25527e83a5c2f76f9 (committed 2026-10-03T13:49:28-07:00)
- Built 2026-10-05T03:25:29+00:00
- Pages: https://taxonomy.tfw.bz/sites/rucking.guide/

## BRAND.md

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 16ad004e0d783eb0a10df47a0258dbadddfbd0fb8f3adee32045e0159c9ae061

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: rucking.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
archetype: charter:brand-archetype-sage (sage)
secondary_archetype: charter:brand-archetype-everyman (everyman)
claims:
  - id: c1
    text: The load calculator reports pack weight as a share of body weight from the numbers the reader enters. That is arithmetic, not medical advice.
    basis: charter:claim-basis-documented (documented)
    source: about.manifest.json copy.summary150; PRODUCT.md strategic principles
  - id: c2
    text: Gear specifications come from manufacturer pages and carry the date they were checked.
    basis: charter:claim-basis-documented (documented)
    source: about.manifest.json copy.summary150; VOICE.md section 6
  - id: c3
    text: The site is independent and not affiliated with any gear brand it reviews or mentions.
    basis: charter:claim-basis-documented (documented)
    source: about.manifest.json copy.summary150
```

### BRAND

#### Name and entity
Rucking Guide, published by Thomas Prommer. Entity home: https://rucking.guide/en/about/ (`about.manifest.json`). Contact comms@flywheel.bz.

#### Promise
You learn what to carry, how heavy to go and what to buy for rucking, with the number first and the reason after it.

#### Personality
The sage, with an everyman streak: lay out the kit, give the number, then say why. It explains load placement and progression in plain words and shows that a cheap bag can still work. It does not use tactical gear-catalog voice or supplement hype, and it does not claim military service, miles or coaching credentials the site does not have.

#### Visual pointers
Locked direction "Load-Out" (kit on a green cutting mat, quiet paper grid for reading). Tokens: `design/tokens.json`. Rationale and rules: `DESIGN.md`.

#### Do / Don't
Do: put the number in the first sentence. Do: change one thing at a time in progressions: distance, then weight, then hills. Do: include a budget or no-purchase option in every gear roundup.
Don't: promise body transformation or use before and after claims the page cannot source. Don't: give unsourced injury advice. Don't: invent rucking miles, military service or test hours.

## VOICE.md

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 af1fd4d1ad07ea41e61eeaa8ac05e8d8b063e6966ecb5258191317e43ed1376f

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: rucking.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: [new-ruckers]
essence: "Lay out the kit, give the number, then say why."
```

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

### VOICE: rucking.guide (Load-out coach)

> 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: rucking.guide editorial team, second person (you), editorial we only for site policy
- Register: practitioner
- Language/locale: en (source), with de, es, fr, pt translations
- One-line essence: "Lay out the kit, give the number, then say why."

#### 2. Audience
- Primary audience: beginner (adults starting rucking for general fitness)
- Reader's job-to-be-done: find out what to carry, how heavy, and what to buy without overspending
- Assume they can walk an hour and own a backpack; always explain load placement, progression and why a cheap bag can still work.

#### 3. Tone Axes  (mark where this voice sits)
- Formal   ───●────  Casual
- Authority ─●─────  Peer
- Serious  ──●─────  Playful
- Concise  ●──────  Expansive
- Default editorial_track: factual

#### 4. Person, POV & Cadence
- Person: second person (you), editorial we only for site policy
- Sentence rhythm: short and declarative, mixed with one longer sentence that gives the reason; imperatives for steps
- Paragraph length: 2 to 4 sentences
- Structural tics to keep / avoid: Keep: the number in the first sentence, spec tables, one change at a time progressions. Avoid: rhetorical questions as openers, stacked adjectives, gear hype.

#### 5. Lexicon
- Preferred terms: load, pack weight, share of body weight, ruck plate, frame sheet, sleeve, hip belt, progression, route
- Banned phrases (beyond humanizer's generic list): "beast mode", "embrace the suck", "game-changer", "crush your goals", "torch calories", "military-grade" (unless quoting a spec)
- Capitalization & spelling rules: "rucking" and "ruck" lowercase mid-sentence; "GORUCK" all caps; "ruck plate", "weight vest", "plate carrier" lowercase; kg first, lb in brackets (en); "RPE" defined on first use.
- Domain-jargon level: Light. Define RPE, plate carrier and frame sheet on first use.

#### 6. E-E-A-T / Experience Claims  (anchors gate Step 7)
- Authentic experience this voice can claim: none yet. Do not invent rucking miles, military service, coaching certifications or test hours. Add real experience here only once it exists (for example a logged kit test).
- Named author + bio source: editorial team byline until a real, credentialed reviewer is recruited; a reviewer bio must state a verifiable credential (for example a CSCS number or physiotherapy licence).
- Quantified credential for bios: none claimable today. Leave blank rather than approximate.
- Citation posture: Cite exercise science and position stands (ACSM, peer-reviewed load-carriage studies) for load and injury guidance, never forums. Cite manufacturer spec pages for gear data, with the check date.
- Original-data hooks this voice owns: the site's load calculator (pack weight as share of body weight), gear spec tables built from manufacturer pages (weight empty, plate sleeve size, frame sheet), price snapshots with a date.
- "What I got wrong" angle: only when the team has actually done the thing. Until then use documented beginner mistakes from sources (too much weight too soon, loose load riding low) and attribute them.

#### 7. Gold-Standard Examples  (few-shot anchor, highest leverage)
No published pages yet. These are target paragraphs written for this profile; replace with real published paragraphs once pages ship.
- Example A (target, /en/rucking-weights/): "Start lighter than you think. A common starting point is a pack around 10 percent of your body weight, so about 8 kg for an 80 kg person, carried for 30 to 45 minutes on flat ground. Keep that load for two weeks before adding anything. Then change one thing at a time: distance first, weight second, hills last. Pack the weight high and tight against your back, because a plate that slides to the bottom of the bag pulls on your shoulders and lower back. If a walk leaves your feet, knees or back sore the next day, hold the load where it is."
  - Why on-voice: number first, one rule per sentence, reason given for the load placement advice.
- Example B (target, /en/rucking-meaning/): "Rucking means walking with weight on your back. The word comes from the military rucksack, and soldiers have trained this way for a long time, but the fitness version is simpler: a sturdy backpack, a weight that stays put, and a route you would walk anyway. It sits between walking and running. You work harder than on a plain walk because you carry more mass, yet the impact stays low because one foot is always on the ground. That is why many people use it when running hurts or bores them."
  - Why on-voice: defines the term plainly, positions it against walking and running, no hype.

#### 8. Anti-References  (do NOT sound like)
- Tactical gear catalog voice (all caps, SKUs, "operator").
- Generic AI listicle ("Top 10 benefits of rucking you need to know").
- Supplement-bro hype and transformation promises; no before/after claims with numbers the page cannot source.
- Retailer copy pasted into reviews.

#### Other languages
Voice is authored in English. DeepL translations inherit it, then a native pass applies these rules.
- de: du, locker aber präzise; Zahlen und Einheiten zuerst; Anglizismen "Rucking" und "Ruck Plate" behalten, sonst deutsche Begriffe (Rucksack, Gewichtsweste).
- es: tú, directo y práctico; neutral Latin American Spanish unless a page is explicitly for Spain.
- fr: vous, clair et concret; avoid franglais except "rucking"; units with a non-breaking space (8 kg).
- pt: você, Brazilian Portuguese by default; direct, short sentences.
- All languages: keep kg as the primary unit (lb in brackets on en only), keep brand names and "rucking" untranslated, translate the gear list labels.

## STRATEGY.md

Version 1.1.1 · status draft · sha256 9a6e86ad651e9dff81aaece7a08672a09e2d5a58f0461bda818cf82f9affb594

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.1.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: rucking.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-authority-depth (authority depth)
  secondary: [charter:positioning-axis-speed-of-answer (speed of answer)]
audiences:
  - kind: charter:audience-kind-consumer (consumer)
    name: New ruckers
    segment: new-ruckers
    job_to_be_done: Pick a starting weight and a safe progression, and decide what to carry it in, without overspending.
profile_required: true
```

### STRATEGY

#### Mission
We help adults who are starting rucking pick a starting load, a progression and gear that fits, with guidance drawn from exercise science and manufacturer specifications and without gear hype.

Source: the drafted default from briefs/strategy.md (ICP a), sharpened with PRODUCT.md (users and purpose).

#### Positioning
Authority depth first: load and injury guidance from exercise science sources and gear data from manufacturer pages, where forums give conflicting weight advice and gear pages are sales copy. Speed of answer second: the number comes in the first sentence. We concede the head term "rucking", where GORUCK and large fitness publishers rank, and we concede coaching, because the site claims no coaching credential.

#### Audiences
New ruckers are adults who have heard of rucking from a podcast, a friend or social video and want a low-impact way to get fitter. They are in the first month: deciding how heavy to go, whether their backpack will do, and what plates or a dedicated ruck are worth. Assume they can walk an hour and own a backpack; always explain load placement, progression and why a cheap bag can still work.

#### Competitors
GORUCK and major fitness publishers hold the head term "rucking". Gear retailers write sales copy for the pack and plate queries. Reddit and YouTube answer the starter questions (briefs/strategy.md, risks).

#### What we will not do
No body transformation promises, no unsourced injury advice, no tactical marketing and no fake current prices (PRODUCT.md boundaries). No off-niche pages: the Swiss Gear backpack, creatine timing and aerobic weight loss pages are held (briefs/HOLD.md). No affiliate offers (PRODUCT.md boundaries), so there are no paid gear links. No ad slot goes live until Tom confirms.

#### Bets for the horizon
1. Own the starter questions: what rucking is, how much weight, which backpack (moves gsc_clicks).
2. Make the load calculator and the Load-Out kit tally the reason to return (moves content_engaged).

## AUDIENCE.md

Version 1.1.1 · status draft · sha256 1468862bcc7ef4195452456cf2ea93d3fc5421e30e619748e9898c48375ed38f

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.1.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: rucking.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
segments:
  - slug: new-ruckers
    name: New ruckers
    kind: charter:audience-kind-consumer (consumer)
    archetype: icp:first-time-experience-seeker (First-time experience seeker)
    priority: charter:segment-priority-primary (primary)
    job_to_be_done: Pick a starting weight and a safe progression, and decide what to carry it in, without overspending.
    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, MX, FR, BR]
    pains:
      - Weight advice conflicts and back or knee pain is a worry.
      - Dedicated packs look expensive and gear pages read as sales copy.
      - Plates shift or bounce in ordinary backpacks.
    channels: [charter:channel-organic-search (organic search), charter:channel-social-video (social video), charter:channel-community (community)]
    entry_paths: ["/en/rucking-meaning/", "/en/rucking-weights/", "/en/rucking-backpack/"]
    size_signal: {metric: monthly_searches, value: 39000, unit: count}
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent draft 2026-10-03 from briefs/strategy.md (assumed default ICP a, pending Tom) and PRODUCT.md", as_of: 2026-10-03}
      size_signal: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-researched (researched), source: "briefs/strategy.md (about 39,000 monthly English searches across the head, gear and starter terms, briefs/keywords.json)", as_of: 2026-09-17}
      languages: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-researched (researched), source: "live https://rucking.guide/sitemap-0.xml read 2026-10-03: 10 pages each in en, de, es, fr and pt", as_of: 2026-10-03}
      regions: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent assumption 2026-10-03: US from the English search volumes in briefs/strategy.md; DE, MX, FR, BR from the five served languages (es is Latin American per VOICE.md, pt is pt_BR per src/lib/site.mjs); no GSC country data read", as_of: 2026-10-03}
      channels: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent draft 2026-10-03 from briefs/strategy.md (Google, YouTube, r/Rucking)", as_of: 2026-10-03}
```

### AUDIENCE

#### New ruckers
Adults who have heard of rucking and want a low-impact way to get fitter. In the first month they decide how heavy to go, whether their backpack will do, and what plates or a dedicated ruck are worth. They want a first routine they can repeat. Source: briefs/strategy.md, VOICE.md section 2, PRODUCT.md users and purpose.

#### Excluded audiences
Not written for: readers who want body transformation promises, readers who want tactical or military-style training and gear, and readers who need medical or injury treatment advice. Source: PRODUCT.md boundaries, VOICE.md section 8.

## MONETIZATION.md

Version 1.1.1 · status draft · sha256 2e57e32d21f53ff8f60ca91c2becdf891bb2aad7e6f5335f0b26fb19c8125b93

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.1.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: rucking.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
revenue_lines:
  - slug: display-ads-info-pages
    name: Display ads on informational pages
    type: charter:revenue-type-display-ads (display ads)
    network: Mediavine Journey
    commission_model: charter:commission-model-rpm (RPM)
    placements: [charter:placement-type-display-slot (display slot)]
    segments: [new-ruckers]
    kpi_key: ad_revenue_recorded
    status: charter:revenue-status-idea (idea)
    share_band: charter:revenue-share-band-minor (minor)
    start_trigger: Tom confirms the monetization choice and traffic reaches the network minimum
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent draft 2026-10-03 from briefs/strategy.md (Journey from 1,000 monthly sessions, Raptive at 25,000 pageviews; requirements not re-read in this run)", as_of: 2026-10-03}
```

### MONETIZATION

#### Revenue model
Display ads on informational pages are the only revenue line, and they stay an idea until Tom confirms them. PRODUCT.md (2026-09-18) lists affiliate offers under its boundaries, and that stated policy outranks the gear-affiliate default in briefs/strategy.md, so the five affiliate lines drafted in v1.0.0 are removed. No line is marked core because no source gives a revenue split.

#### Disclosure rules
Ad slots are labelled as advertising. Load and injury guidance never depends on who advertises (briefs/strategy.md compliance note).

#### Not monetised
No affiliate offers (PRODUCT.md boundaries). This removes the GORUCK, REI, Rogue Fitness, Titan Fitness and Amazon Associates programs that briefs/strategy.md proposed. If Tom lifts the boundary in PRODUCT.md, they come back as ideas. No before and after, transformation or supplement offers. No fake current prices. Gear pages keep a budget or no-purchase option. No line goes live until Tom confirms.

#### Display ads on informational pages
Display ads on informational pages through Mediavine Journey once the site meets the network minimum, with later moves to Mediavine or Raptive.

## KPI.md

Version 1.0.2 · status draft · sha256 d539f4ccaf1630d76780cd6e219a98ae1c0b060cc32c33a122b8655ed2d09a00

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.2
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: rucking.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 ranking the starter and gear pages is the first job. gsc_clicks, gsc_impressions and avg_position show whether those pages earn search visibility against GORUCK and fitness publishers. content_engaged shows whether the load calculator and kit tally are used. newsletter_subscribed is kept from the template as a return path. affiliate_clicked stays because the template carries it, and it should read zero: PRODUCT.md rules out affiliate offers. crawl_errors and pages_indexed are the guardrails: errors must not rise and indexed pages must follow the page plan.

#### Reading guide
Read pageview_recorded weekly against the target in kpi-mgmt once one is entered; none exists yet. Rising impressions with flat clicks means titles or positions need work. Rising pageviews with flat content_engaged means readers land on the page but skip the calculator.

#### Review cadence
Quarterly, with the 12-month bets in STRATEGY.md.

## taxonomy/binding.yaml

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 da6e6f6b15e66910e5dd66818282d1aaef2fe8e927f81081a73158706ac93db6

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: rucking.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
iab_content: ["iab:223"]
icp_profile: portfolio-icp@1.0.0
content_profile: null
languages: [en, de, es, fr, pt]
regions: [US, DE, MX, FR, BR]
```