The quick answer
A free loadout supplies a random basic kit with reduced looting space. It lowers what you spend before a raid; it does not make the raid risk-free.
What a free loadout is for
Embark describes the free kit as basic, randomized equipment. The tradeoff is less room for loot than a customized setup. That makes it a way to get back into a raid without first committing a chosen inventory of equipment.
Our practical recommendation is to decide your purpose before selecting it. Learning an unfamiliar route and carrying a valuable, carefully selected kit are different commitments. A free kit can suit the first task even when it is not the kit you would choose for the second.
Understand what defeat costs
The first-raid guide says carried and scavenged items are lost on being knocked out, with the Safe Pocket exception. Do not treat that exception as a promise that every loadout has the same protected space. Check the actual augment and inventory available to your current setup before relying on it.
A pre-raid decision checklist
- Is this a learning trip or a trip built around a particular objective?
- Do you have the ammunition and utilities your chosen plan needs?
- How much of your own stock are you comfortable risking?
- Have you inspected the storage and protection your current kit actually provides?
If you bring a weapon you intend to keep using, check how weapon repairs work before your next deployment.
More help with crafting & progression across our game guides.
Sources
- Your first raidEmbark Studios · Checked Nov 7, 2026