Fred,
Preparation is key... however, all the things you mentioned (winch, gas cans, off-road jack, under-armor) are nice things to have, not necessities. In fact, XTRAIL1, a 2005 SE 4WD with road tires, made the entire trip - no problem.
I only mention this because I don't want you to miss out on future trips... Happy holidays.
Cheers,
Travis