I'm trying to decide the best way to keep my tent for a ~3 month bike tour around Western Europe this summer. My thoughts so far are to keep it in a dry bag, or a mesh bag on top of the front rack. I figure the dry bag will ideally keep the tent dry and keep it from mildewing, but I'm sure we'll have rain on the trip. Then I'd be packing up a wet tent. Same for morning dew since we'll be leaving early in the mornings. I was thinking maybe keeping it in a mesh bag might let it dry out every day that it's not raining. I figure I could cover the tent with a piece of plastic if it rains while we're riding, and keep a piece of cloth or something over it during times of high sun exposure to reduce sun damage. Am I off on my theory about the mesh bag?

We also might only be camping half of the time we're on the trip, and staying with people or in hostels the other half. I'm not sure just how much of a difference that makes.