I should have clarified one thing, the stuff you have equipped you don't lose, you only lose what weapons and gear you find in the Dark Zone that's sitting in your Dark Zone backpack. It's just that if they have better shit equipped, you stand no chance at killing them to get your stolen backpack back.
You have to get to a choppa and extract whats in your backpack, once its extracted then you can't lose it, what's in your Dark Zone backpack is not safe. Your equipped gear is safe.
So if you find something good, get your team to run straight to a choppa to extract before asswipes kill you and take it.