Similarly, I've been using the reg feature for years and my computer hasn't died on me or anything and I rarely make back ups, unless it's for an entry I don't particularly recognize (95% of the time it's just uninstall leftovers anyways).
I think some people reported breaking their comps using the reg service, so I do recommend making backups for your first time at least. I usually just leave the .REG, though that's because I'm too lazy to delete.