I live in Washington (Capitol Hill) and will be here for the Inaugural. Does he have an Inaugural ticket for the Capitol grounds which will require going through a metal detector and x-ray? Or will he be watching from further down the Mall? (where for the first time ever there may also be security screening)

Where is your son staying? In the city at a nice hotel within walking distance of the Capitol Building? Or in a suburb from which he'll have to take Metro into the city? (Independence and Constitution Avenues, among others, will be closed all day Inaugural Day so anyone thinking they'll be driving anywhere near the Inaugural is deluded.)

This city will be crawling with law enforcement and military -- 4000 additional police officers are being brought in from other jurisdictions to help with the Inaugural. Active duty military personnel are always a big part of putting on the Inaugural so there will be far more soldiers in the city than usual. Because of predictions of unprecedented crowds of 4 or 5 million visitors (I pray these are ludicrous inflated estimates) the security presence will be also be unprecedented.

My neighbors and I marvel at the predictions because we are well acquainted with the July 4 crowds in which a few hundred thousand people on the Mall overwhelms the Metro system and paralyzes traffic.

Where everyday crimes like mugging are concerned, I never feel safer in DC than during the Inaugural. The two most likely threats to your son are: 1) EXTREME COLD + WET WEATHER; 2) crowds.

In normal Inaugurations it is necessary to arrive a few hours early to get through security and to your ticketed place (most of the Capitol tickets are for standing-room only -- each Senator is given only 20 seated tickets to distribute).

Umbrellas are not allowed on the Capitol grounds during the Inaugural. And NO BACKPACKS -- he'd better carry whatever he needs, in his pockets.

So I'd forget the fishing line and fire-making instruments and concentrate on extremely WARM and WATERPROOF attire suitable for standing outside for several hours in the MUD in 20-degree, wet weather.

If very lucky, it will be sunny and 50 degrees. More likely it will be 20s-30s, blustery and wet.

WARM COAT, hat, ear muffs, scarf, insulated boots, ski socks, long underwear, gloves + mittens, EMERGENCY CLEAR RAIN PONCHO that can be stuffed in a pocket (look at the 2001 Inaugural platform photos where Congress and other dignitaries were each provided a cheap clear plastic poncho and they wore them!) I'd also take some chemical hand warmers but security might take those. Still worth trying.

http://www.amazon.com/EMERGENCY-PONCHOs-...9592&sr=8-1

(will continue this in subsequent post)