The Best Beginner Loadout in Escape From Tarkov
Before going into Raids, you need to equip your PMC (your main character) with the weapons, armor, healing items, and more that you’ll use in battle. You can do this in the “Character” menu, which can be found on the bottom part of the menu.
When you first boot the game, you’ll notice that there are a lot of items, and they will also depend on the edition you have purchased. Logically, you might feel overwhelmed and not sure what to use. That’s why this guide will give you recommendations below.
Please note that some equipment will be mentioned in duos because you will have one or the other depending on which faction (USEC or BEAR) you chose for your PMC.
For the main weapon, choosing a Colt M4A1 or an AK-74M with two fully charged magazines is the best pick. While you might die in your first Raids and there are far better weapons in the game, these will give you decent damage. The Triton or the Blackhawk are pretty good rigs that give you a good amount of space for your magazines and other items you might find.
Next, select the PACA as your kevlar. This is a weak choice when compared to most bulletproof vests, but the better ones are hard to get or buy during your first hours and you should never start a Raid without some defense.
Speaking of which, you should always go out with a backpack because you need space for everything that you will (hopefully) loot during the Raid. The backpack provided for free is more than enough and it will have you covered for quite some items (the number depends on the size of the item).
Masks, glasses, and pistols won’t be necessary (the first two are more cosmetic items than anything), but purchasing any helmet from Prapor will be a wise idea to avoid getting killed in seconds by a headshot from anywhere. Selecting an earpiece is mandatory if you want to have any hearing advantage — extremely important in the game —, and a ComTac 2 is way better than the GSSh-01,
Lastly, for the consumable items, you should bring one esmarch, one splint, one AI-2 kit, one aseptic bandage, one Car first-aid kit, one Iskra or the regular MRE, and one bottle of water. The last two items are for your hydration and energy stats: if you stay too much time in the Raid, you’ll need these consumables to recover your stats. The rest of the items are healing ones, and you’ll need them to heal cuts, broken bones, and general wounds.
Put the esmarch, Car, and splinter on the Alpha pouch so you don't lose them if you die.
