How to ensure my bitcoins are safe?

[puexam]

Hello guys, real question.
I have mined already some BTC but question is how I am able to ensure that they are safe?
Currently I am keeping some of them in my mine and some of them at mtgox. I am not using the bitcoin applications to store them locally because I am worried about possibility of my PC's breakdown. I'd like to rather keep them in some kind of bank or other place where I'd store them safely. Any ideas?

[casascius]

1. Print a paper wallet at bitaddress.org

2. Send them there.

I have never heard of anyone having their bitcoins stolen from a paper wallet.

[RHWN]

1. Print a paper wallet at bitaddress.org

2. Send them there.

I have never heard of anyone having their bitcoins stolen from a paper wallet.

Do you print out the paper?
How do you access the adress on the paper?

I have saved my .dat file, adress & scrypt on a usb memory

[martinkou]

Stash your wallet files inside encrypted files (via TrueCrypt, for example) in a Google Drive and a Dropbox. If your computer burnt down, you'd still be able to access them on another computer. If one of the services corrupted your encrypted file, you'd still have another service.

[puexam]

So then I'm using "Bitcoin Address" to send there eg. 5BTC and then the "Private Key" to actually use them?
What if I'd like to use only 3BTC out of those 5, is it possible, or only the full amount available?
Can I "load" this address several times, eg. once with 1BTC and then with 4BTC, to have in total 5BTC?

And the last question... how to actually be sure that these money will not be ever lost (besides of stealing the paper etc). I understand that it is saved by the BTC network itself, right?

-edit-
How long does it take to redeem money saved in this "paper wallet"?

@martinkou: I am aware of it and yeah, that sounds reasonable. Though still just wanted to look for some other option. These paper wallets sounds pretty interesting.

[oisindub]

Hi.
New to Bitcoin and trawling through the confusion.
I open Bitcoin_qt (Mac osx) and it starts downloading the latest blocks.
Presumably wallet.dat is updated.
Am I right in saying that I do not now need to backup wallet.dat as long as I have made no new transactions?
Thanks.

[LTC99]

I would never keep too many in an exchange, but diversifying is always a good thing. Encrypt and backup your wallets often...