Rant: My 2FA backup codes vanished in a hotel lobby, now I keep them offline

Last April I was changing flights at the Denver airport and got a notification that someone tried logging into my email from a new device. I went to grab my password manager on my phone to check my backup codes, but the app had auto-updated overnight and signed me out. I needed those codes to get back in, but they were only stored in that same app, which was a stupid move on my part. Turns out the alert was just a false positive from a public Wi-Fi captive portal, but I spent 45 minutes sweating in a crowded terminal fighting with account recovery. Now I keep a printed copy of my 2FA backup codes in my wallet and a second one in my car glovebox, out of sight but reachable. Has anyone else had a moment where their own security setup locked them out, and what backup method did you settle on?

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