Dale, I tend to have dry skin but not as dry as you are experiencing. My skin does get even more dry when camping. My skin is also sensitive so I have to be careful what I use. I think that the moisturizers that are in the more solid forms (like body butter or even vaseline) work the best because they don't wash off easily. They also can be greasier though. They say the best thing to do in severe cases is to put something like vaseline on your hands at night and sleep with cotton gloves. They actually sell cotton gloves in allergy catalogs just for this purpose. My hands also get very dry at work especially when using clay. At work I use Lubriderm unscented and it is pretty good.

I swear by Burt's Bees hand balm. It works soooo well, if you don't have a store nearby that carries it, they have a website you can order from. It is a little pricey, but works so well I will never go back to anything else.

Oh, it's not hand balm, it's called hand salve. oops, but you should really try it.

Dale
I have the same problem, not from too much age but diabetes.
I use a product by avon called moisture therapy. Only a few bucks a squeeze tube. The container says for extremely dry skin.
It really helps my arms, leggs and hands.
Bob

Dry skin in the high desert is a royal pain and hard to combat. I was shopping for some kind of lotion when an elderly lady told me I was dehydrated and needed to drink this unbelievable amount of water each day to stay hydrated. She is correct, though. One of the keys is keeping hydrated. Drink lots of water in hot weather does help... jerry

My skin gets so dry in the winter, so have found this just in the past few months and is the best of all I have used over the years. It is Vaseline Petroleum Jelly Cream in a 4 oz. tube. It says Dual Action Alpha Hydroxy formula on the front. It isn't the greasy stuff you may think, but a cream and it works great. Only 1.88 at the local auction and one tube lasts for about a month or two depending on use. My son uses it for his face after shaving as his skin is super sensitive and he says it is the only thing that doesn't leave him all red and irritated.
Lynda

not sure if it's the most portable of things to carry with you on an outing, but I started using coconut oil (like the kind you can buy at the grocery store). just a little bit goes a long way, smells good, and is great for your skin. it's also high in lauric acid (spelling?), so as an added bonus there's an anti-microbial element to it, which would be great for the outdoors.

Wel,, I was going to suggest use gloves. But since you have already taken that measure, my next suggestion would be to consult a doctor. I get this hyperpigmentaion problem after every hike or trek and it's a serious botheration, I tell you! So, I consulted a dermatologist recently and some improvement is there. Keeping your skin hydrated should also work fine.