Kill members of the other faction while you were out there?
Great, you’ve got the option to steal their good gear.
Die to an enemy player, though?

Yeah, that’s your stuff gone, probably.
I haven’t played Tarkov, but from what I gather, Gray Zone is a bit more forgiving.
So long as you all choose the same faction, you could squad up with friends.

Sadly, I don’t think Gray Zone is particularly beginner friendly, though.