I'm not a "hacker" by any means, but I would probably use a Qubes based system with a dedicated "hacking" VM, only use anonymous VPNs connected from public WiFi access points (having left my mobile at home) while wearing a fake beard and STILL be paranoid that I somehow somewhere make a mistake.
Serious "hackers" are usually state sponsored now, or members of mature groups.
I saw an article where they analyzed the leaked IP addresses from a breach forum, and some of the top ten were Surfshark and iCloud Private relay.
what's wrong with icloud private relay? It uses a 2-hop architecture so it's probably more private than any single-hop VPN.
Personally I'd say use Qubes because it might be better at preventing you from getting raided in the first place.
Decisions decisions.