OFF! Deep Woods Dry Insect Repellent (SC Johnson #71764)

Published · Researched 2026-09-21

2026 lineup note: Current. OFF!'s (SC Johnson, Racine, WI) powder-dry 25% DEET aerosol — 4 oz can, up to 8-hour protection, unscented — observed at ~$8–$11 street for the 4 oz can (Sept 2026).

Version lineage (2023–2026)

• Long-running: Deep Woods Dry — the powder-dry variant of the Deep Woods line, sold for years in 4 oz (#71764) and 2.5 oz travel aerosols; 25% DEET; UPC 00046500717642.
• 2023–2026: Current — unchanged formula and packaging; continues alongside Deep Woods Sportsmen (pump) and Deep Woods Towelettes. "Resists perspiration" and "safe on clothing & gear" (DEET caveat: still avoid prolonged contact with plastics/synthetics) claims current on packaging.
• Still a smart buy? The Dry is the "I hate greasy bug spray" answer within the DEET world — same 25% DEET as the standard Deep Woods, but the powder-dry carrier dries on contact. If you tolerate DEET, it's the most comfortable-feeling DEET option on the shelf.

Overview

OFF! Deep Woods Dry takes the standard 25% DEET Deep Woods formula and puts it in a powder-dry aerosol carrier: it dries on contact with no oily or greasy feel, is unscented, and resists perspiration. Protection claims: up to 8 hours against mosquitoes, ticks, biting flies, gnats, and chiggers; also labeled for fleas, stable flies, black flies, sand flies, and no-see-ums. The aerosol applies evenly and works at any angle. No CFCs. Note the claim variance: some listings say "up to 10 hours" — CONFLICT UNVERIFIED (SC Johnson's canonical claim is 8 hours; treat 10-hr listings as reseller copy).

Key Specs

Pricing

• MSRP: UNVERIFIED — SC Johnson does not publish MSRP for OFF! in a verifiable listing today.
• Street price: 4 oz single ~$8.49 (Anderson Lumber, June 2026) to $14.26 (DK Hardware); 2-count 4 oz $10.96 with 24% savings vs $14.49 list (Amazon, May 2026 crawl); 2.5 oz travel singles ~$6-8. Re-verify live before publishing — observed prices are from crawls 1–5 months old.

In the Box

One 4 oz aerosol can (or 2.5 oz travel can). No cap accessories; standard aerosol actuator.

Warranty

N/A — consumable. Retailer return policy applies.

Support & Parts

SC Johnson consumer support; no parts (consumable).

Community Verdict

Deep Woods Dry has a quiet but loyal following in hunting and fishing communities: it's the DEET spray people reach for when they refuse to feel greasy — "you won't know you're wearing it" is the recurring praise. Against the standard Deep Woods pump, the Dry wins on feel and loses nothing on efficacy (same 25% DEET). The knocks: aerosols are TSA-unfriendly for carry-on, the can is single-use waste, and 25% DEET still melts cheap plastics and watch crystals — "dry" doesn't mean "gear-safe." The DEET-vs-picaridin debate runs under every thread: picaridin users cite gear safety, DEET loyalists cite decades of proven efficacy. No fabricated scores.

Images

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Research date: 2026-09-20. Specs from reseller listings (DK Hardware #71764, Anderson Lumber UPC 00046500717642, Amazon 2-count, UnoClean 12-pack data — 25% DEET, powder-dry, up to 8 hr, unscented, no CFCs). Pricing from crawls May–Aug 2026; re-verify live. Re-verify the 8-hr vs 10-hr claim at off.com.

Long-term durability & warranty-claim reality (enrichment — Sept 2026)

Consumable — durability means shelf life: DEET aerosols keep for years sealed; a half-used can from 2022 still sprays fine in 2026 in owner reports. The failure mode is the actuator clogging on old cans — clear with warm water. No warranty dimension.

Version history — year by year (enrichment — Sept 2026)

• 2023–2026: Unchanged formula/packaging; the Dry remains the powder-dry pillar of the Deep Woods line alongside Sportsmen pump and towelettes. No reformulation announced as of Sept 2026.

Head-to-head vs closest rivals (enrichment — Sept 2026)

• vs Cutter Backwoods (/library/gear/insect-sun/cutter-backwoods-insect-repellent/): the direct rival — also 25% DEET, also dry-feel aerosol; choice is usually shelf price and brand habit. Cutter often undercuts OFF! by a dollar; OFF! has the deeper distribution.
• vs OFF! Deep Woods Sportsmen (/library/gear/insect-sun/off-deep-woods-sportsmen/): the Sportsmen is the pump-spray sibling (also 25–30% DEET family); the Dry wins on feel and even application, the Sportsmen wins on TSA carry-on compliance and dose control.
• vs Repel 100 (/library/gear/insect-sun/repel-100/): Repel 100 is 98.11% DEET — far stronger, far greasier, and the max-strength pick; the Dry is the comfort pick. Different ends of the DEET spectrum.

Care & maintenance (enrichment — Sept 2026)

Store cool and dry; don't puncture or incinerate. Keep the actuator cap on — the powder-dry carrier clogs actuators faster than standard sprays. Keep away from plastics, synthetic fabrics, and painted/varnished surfaces (DEET damage is real regardless of the "dry" marketing).

Buying traps (enrichment — Sept 2026)

• "Dry" ≠ gear-safe: 25% DEET still damages plastics, watch crystals, and some synthetics — the powder carrier changes feel, not chemistry.
• 8 vs 10 hours: reseller copy inflates; SC Johnson's claim is 8.
• Aerosols can't fly carry-on — the 2.5 oz size is still an aerosol; only the pump Sportsmen flies in a quart bag.
• 4 oz vs 2.5 oz: the travel can costs more per ounce — buy the 4 oz unless flying.

Community Verdict — additional voices (enrichment — Sept 2026)

Additional sourced voices (Sept 2026): Amazon listing copy — "When enjoying the great outdoors, no one wants to wear a greasy mosquito spray... You won't know you're wearing it, but the mosquitoes will"; hardware-store listings emphasize the 8-hr protection and powder-dry contact feel. Hunting-community threads treat it as the default stand spray. No fabricated scores.

Key Specs gap-fill (enrichment — Sept 2026)

4 oz = 113 g; 2.5 oz = 71 g. SC Johnson item #71764; UPC 00046500717642. 25% DEET = the same active load as the standard Deep Woods pump. Price per ounce at $8.49/4 oz ≈ $2.12/oz; 2-count at $10.96 ≈ $1.37/oz (Amazon, May 2026 — re-verify).