He really meant what he said. Returning to the city is truly going to be a difficult challenge for him to overcome after leaving it.
It is as if he just escaped from a pot placed on a stove. The stove is unlit, for now. He doesn't know when the stove will start working. But he knows that when it does, he won't be able to leave the pot before he is cooked. He can only be cooked into a broth.
Sure, the water in the pot is cool. But that is only currently. He doesn't know about the future. The thought that death can come for him at any time doesn't allow him to have peace of mind.
He has gotten out of that situation right now. And if he has his way, he won't ever return to that situation again. So he was very serious about the chances of him living in the wilds from now on.
He thought to himself in pity, "The only thing I wish I could have brought is my hoverbike. I don't want to lose it."