How business travelers excel at keeping devices charged with no outlet in sight

Widespread power failures, which led, in turn, to broken Internet connections after Hurricane Sandy, served as an extreme example of the challenges business travelers face when they are on the road and need to recharge their smartphone, tablet or laptop, or when they are in underdeveloped countries and the power goes out.

In situations like these, “frequent travelers are a pretty resourceful group, making do with what’s available to them,” said Ron DiLeo, executive director of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives, a trade group.

Travelers have also been helped by the development of all sorts of products in the last few years that provide backup power for everything from a small cellphone to a large laptop, said Darren Murph, managing editor of Engadget, an online consumer electronics magazine. “These handle voltages for devices like laptops and tablets,” he said.