Not sure about Portland, but that would be all the excuse the cops need to arrest you in any major cities in Cali. It is illegal to open carry any blade longer than 6" in San Diego, and LA. Not sure about the wording elsewhere, but don't take the chance.

Todd the Frog is quoted in the article saying it wasn't as bad as you would imagine. I'm guessing it's the gel type spray that sticks to your face, and not an aerosol that would spread through the suit. So his waistband got maced

You could always wear a respirator inside the suit. I have also been thinking of a way to upgrade the fan mechanism so you could add a layer of air filter. Then the whole thing would basically be a hazmat suit.

I'm just using that as an example of how one of these inflatable costumes would act as a kind of armor.