Meet the Family Behind Main Divide

Main Divide isn't run out of a head office. It's Justin, Justine, and their two daughters, Keeley and Liv - a Canterbury family who started making their own hunting gear because nothing else quite fit.

Justin handles product design and fabric choice, working directly with international textile mills on selection and manufacturing. Justine runs the office, the website and distribution. Keeley and Liv help with distribution too - and, more importantly, they're genuine field testers, out in the hills wearing the gear before it ever reaches a customer.

How it actually started

There was no single big idea behind Main Divide. It started with years of the family's own adventures, and just as many small frustrations with the gear they were buying.

Hoods that were too big to sit comfortably on your head. Garments cut too short in the body, so they'd ride up on your back the moment you reached for something. Lightweight, genuinely warm layers were hard to find - and hard to find matters a lot more when you're also carrying your kids' extra gear in your own pack.

One day, talking through what needed to change turned into actually designing their own product - and testing it out in the hills themselves. That's still how it works today.

Growing up outdoors

Justin got into hunting at 15, tagging along after a schoolmate first invited him out. What started as one trip turned into a weekly adventure between the two of them for years - and hunting became Justin's way of exploring New Zealand, chasing new places as much as game.

Justine came to it a little differently. She grew up tramping and camping with her own family, but didn't start hunting until she met Justin.

A trip to remember (for better and worse)

Ask the family about their favourite trip, and they’ll tell you it was the 2024 roar: a full week spent in Molesworth Station. Not much came home in the way of trophies, but the weather held, the walking was good, and it was - in their words - a genuinely peaceful week.

Their most memorable trip, however, is a different story. A helicopter trip into the Nelson tops led to an early morning spent holding the tent poles down by hand to stop them from snapping in gale-force nor’west winds. Not their favourite morning - but certainly not one they’ve forgotten.

The kids come too

Keeley and Liv have spent years hiking these hills alongside Justin and Justine, carrying their own gear the whole way. The tradition that gets them through the last stretch of any tough walk hasn't changed: the promise of ice cream on the way home, followed by rating the walk out of 10 once it's over.

Fitting it in around everything else

Running Main Divide alongside full-time jobs and an existing business means time in the hills doesn't come as often as the family would like. That's exactly what makes it count for more when they do get out - it's not routine for them, it's genuinely something they look forward to.

The rule that decides what makes it to market

There's one test every product has to pass: it has to earn its place in the pack. It needs to be something the family would want to use - and pay for - themselves, whether it's built for one specific condition or designed to work across multiple seasons. If it doesn't clear that bar on their own trips, it doesn't go any further.

More than a business

Axle, the family dog, comes on every trip - and reportedly took hours of debate on a hillside before he got his name. A pack of cards or a game of Yahtzee is a permanent fixture in the pack too, for whenever the weather closes in.

Main Divide is about creating gear that brings comfort to the environment we love to spend so much time in.

Woman glassing the high country with a spotting scope alongside her dog on a Main Divide hunt

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns Main Divide?

Main Divide is a family-run business based in Canterbury, New Zealand. Justin leads product design and fabric sourcing, Justine runs the office, website and distribution, and daughters Keeley and Liv are involved in product distribution and field testing.

Is Main Divide a family business?

Yes. Main Divide was started by a Canterbury family after years of struggling to find hunting gear that actually fit and performed the way they needed - particularly gear that stayed lightweight and warm while carrying extra kit for their children. The whole family is still hands-on today, including the kids, who help test gear in the field.

Where is Main Divide based?

Main Divide is based in Canterbury, New Zealand, with the Southern Alps as the family's regular testing ground - including frequent trips to Arthur's Pass and AntiCrow Hut.

What's the idea behind Main Divide's gear?

Every product has to earn its place in the pack - the family's rule of thumb is that a garment needs to be something they'd want to use and pay for themselves before it goes anywhere near the market.