Your only option for non-KOS is to roll with a crew and have them watch your back. Expecting other survivors to not shoot you on sight is not wise. Keep control of the situation and you'll be fine (I have put 18 hours into DayZ and have only died twice because of this play methodology, once I was a fresh spawn unarmed by myself and the other was getting glitched through a wall and dropping three stories to the ground). If you and your group are well equipped and intelligent, you shouldn't die much.
