Quote from: blockchainbastard on February 01, 2018, 12:18:38 AM

Just coping the wallet.dat is easier than extracting the key in the most cases.
Be careful most of the wallets really name the file wallet.dat so if you have different wallets for different currencies it can happen quick that you overwrite an existing file.
Most of the wallets provide an export function and you can choose a diffrent name.
The important part is the key, doesn t matter if it is in a keyfile, wallet.dat or exported form the wallet.
Choose the way whats easy for you to restore.
Only some coins like iota don t have a secret key, but they are quite rare.

Although, the wallet.dat requires keeping it electronically. I would recommend making several different types of copies of the private key and would have at least one physical copy which can be stored a safe location from both natural hazards and theft.

Also, wallet.dat is a file and files are known to corrupt especially when newer versions are released.